Dawning of a Valkyrie
by Sgt Skillcraft
Summary: Ten years after Dagny's birth, Bo sees the signs that her Dawning is near. Lauren, Dyson, Mark, Vex and the rest of the family try to help the stubborn sisters resolve their own conflicts so that they can deal with it, & the impending return of Hades together. Romance, humor, action - a continuation of LG after season 5. Canon as I can make it. Something different. Now rated M.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended.

Dawning of a Valkyrie

Chapter One: The Stage is Set

"You can't just storm out of here – you have no idea what we are up against!"

"Ha! How can I know ANYTHING? All anyone ever does is feed me lies and keep secrets from me!"

"Dagny, wait! I can ex-" The door slammed and the young fae was gone. "…plain." The Succubus finished after a second that seemed to last an hour to the closed door in front of her. She sighed heavily and threw her hands up and head back in frustration, asking the ceiling "Why does she have to be so damned stubborn!" Suddenly remembering she wasn't alone, she whirled on the only other occupant of the room – her lover, housemate, partner – and wife.

It was easy to forget she was there as the other person hadn't moved or commented on the running shouting match as it started on the second floor, descended the stairs, migrated to the living room and ended with the young Valkyrie slamming the door on her sister's face as she left the apartment. Dr. Lauren Lewis was busy with her research; the only sound in the room now as her wife stared at her expectantly with arms crossed was her tapping away at the keyboard. Bo couldn't stand the silence anymore and prompted her lover to comment on the situation with a loud clearing of her throat, "Ah uhmm….Well?...aren't you going to say anything?"

The clicking of the keys stopped abruptly, and Lauren looked over the computer screen and the top of her 'cheaters' at her wife with raised eyebrows without moving her head. The ten years that had passed since Dagny's birth had made the reading glasses a necessity for the human, as well as left its mark in the silver highlights in her dark blonde hair and the crow's feet that gradually spread from the corners of her eyes before fading away. But Father Time had not only altered her appearance, as it is with most humans he had also graced her with increased wisdom as a consolation prize. _Why is it that the fae gather so much knowledge in their long lifetimes and never learn from it?!_ she silently mused to herself. Although Dagny was "so donezo" talking about the situation with her sister didn't mean Bo was ready to let it go, and she would invariably look for an endorsement of her decisions from her own wife. Lauren knew the young fae's outrage mirrored the Succubus' own reaction to her grandfather's reluctance to tell her everything he knew about her own family, but telling her in so many words would only start a fight. Bo would eventually see that for herself, once she had calmed down and was open to rational discussion.

But dragging a stubborn horse to a watering hole wouldn't make it drink. "Bo, she is your sister. It isn't my place to interfere and tell you how to deal with your own family." Her eyes and attention turned back to her computer as the tapping of the keyboard began again in earnest.

The sound was soon drown out by the determined footfalls of the Succubus marching across the room, stopping directly in front of the doctor's station at the kitchen island. "Seriously?! Don't you care about her?!" A quick yet stern indignant glace that brooked no argument denied that accusation and didn't interrupt her typing was the only answer. Undeterred in her frustration, Bo pursued the issue, on a different tack, "We are supposed to be a team! Don't you have to say about this?" Bo demanded while leaning down with her hands on the counter, angry eyes trying to catch Lauren's own.

When they did meet, Lauren's expression was neutral; holding the gaze of her fuming wife as she deliberately shut her laptop and took off her glasses. Bo, for her part seemed taken aback a bit as Lauren stood and turned from her, fetching a bottle of wine from the chiller. She placed it on the counter, and soon the corkscrew joined it. The brunette was dumb struck, as the doctor implied without saying a word that Bo was to open it while she retrieved two large wine glasses from the cupboard and made her way to the couch. She settled down gingerly and waited expectantly for her wife to take the hint and do the same, but Bo was still standing at the counter. Mouth agape, she was primed for an argument that didn't happened and was still trying to process how Lauren could remain so cool after their charge, another daughter of Hades, had stormed out so soon before her dawning.

"OK, do you want to talk about it, or just yell at me from the kitchen? Either way, it's obvious I'm not getting any more work done this evening. So, make up your mind! Oh, but open the wine – I'm thirsty." She smirked in a way that Dagny, and her Mother, Tamsin, had done so many times. _This old gal is no one trick pony!_ She gloated to herself.

The doctor's eyeglasses hanging off a chain around her neck and crossed legs beneath her skirt combined with her authoritative, yet cheeky demeanor made the Succubus's anger dissolve as her eyes flashed blue for a moment when her mind wandered. _Oh my God! She looks like a sexy school teacher ready to punish a naughty student! And I want to be sooo naughty…."_ But Bo quickly recovered when a stern look from her wife indicated she knew exactly what was going through her mind, and after getting her carnal thoughts in check and fumbling with the bottle briefly she managed to open it and pour them both a glass.

Settling down on the couch next to her wife with a sigh, she drained the glass and poured another while Lauren calmly sipped her own drink and waited. "First of all, I'm sorry for taking it out on you. You deserve better than to be collateral damage for my family feuds." Bo finally ventured, rocking back and forth slowly and staring at her wine glass. After taking another healthy sip, she calmed her nervous movements and continued, facing her lover "Did you hear everything?"

"No, not everything. Just what was said on the stairs and the living room – she's upset you have been keeping secrets from her and she wants to know everything about her mother. She wants to know what it is to be a Valkyrie, and declare her allegiance to the Dark at her dawning. You are against it, so she left to stay with Vex and do and follow her desires. That's what I heard." Lauren finished, leaving out the insults and expletives the pair exchanged and sipped her wine, carefully eyeing her wife for a reaction. It came instantly.

"She wants to be Dark! She doesn't have to declare AT ALL anymore, things have changed! But she wants to be Dark Fae! For what, because her mother was! That's a BULLSHIT reason! You should have NEVER given her Tamsin's journal!" Bo was shouting again, angry once more.

Lauren poured herself and Bo another glass of wine, giving her time to think before replying. The accusation stung, there was no denying it, but she had given the girl her mother's journal years ago. Dr. Lewis fully believed it was the right thing to do for the young Valkyrie under their care; but Bo vehemently disagreed after the fact. She had thought the issue resolved and over with after her gesture of sharing knowledge with the Succubus's sister was met with unexpected rage from her fiancé, at the time. There had been a fight, oh yes – one hell of a fight when Dagny learned so very abnormally quickly how to read the ancient texts from Dyson and found that her mother was obsessing over the succubus. Then she began asking questions. Questions that Bo evaded or glossed over, and forbidding anyone from revealing to the confused baby fae of the depth of Tamsin's devotion or the circumstances of her pregnancy. Thankfully, the journal was still in Lauren's possession when the Valkyrie gave Bo her declaration of love and was rejected and so the full truth was never recorded by Tamsin. And most of what was written was cryptic to anyone who didn't understand the context. Bo made it clear that she believed it best that Dagny only knew that they shared the same father, and that Tamsin was a dearly loved friend and Valkyrie who died giving birth to her – nothing more. After the dust settled on their spat, Lauren promised never to interfere in Bo's relationship with her sister and all was forgiven.

Now, however, the Succubus was digging up bones long buried. _The journal didn't instigate this,_ Lauren thought to herself as she sat back, _Dagny's already read it a hundred times over! I wonder if it wouldn't have been better if Kenzi had told her everything before she sent her back five years ago. Then again, she knows how Bo can be…and is ever loyal to her wishes even when it would be better if she wasn't. OK, since she asked me what I heard, let's find out what I didn't hear!_

"So, I doubt you had a fight over something in the journal she has been reading for years, but now you are angry at me – AGAIN- because I gave her the journal. We've already hashed this out, Bo." The Succubus' angry expression fell away into an expression of defensiveness as she opened her mouth to deny her wife's retort, but she never got the chance as Lauren ignored her and continued, "I'm sorry I didn't ask you before I gave it to her, and I haven't told her anything else. I, and everyone else, respect your wish to raise your own sister as you see fit. If you are asking me if I told her something, the answer is NO. If you are fishing for another apology, then OK – I'm sorry. I never had any intention of driving a wedge between you and your only living relative who is searching so desperately to find out who she is and what her place is in this family."

She observed how her wife's shoulders slumped as the Succubus drank slowly drank from her wine glass. When her dark brown eyes turned back to Lauren, they were filled with guilt and remorse, and the acknowledgement that the tumultuous relationship she shared with her sister had nothing to do with Lauren, or her gift of Tamsin's journal. Lauren returned her gaze with love and understanding that made her feel undeserving of such treatment after lashing out at her, and compelled her to voice those feelings. "I'm so sorry, Lauren. None of this is your fault. I –" she sighed and looked away briefly before continuing, "I just don't know what to do! I guess this is how Trick felt when I showed up on his doorstep." She stared at the floor, now morose over where her own epiphany was leading her thoughts. "She doesn't realize how much I love her; how much she means to me. I don't want her to make the same mistakes I did, with Trick." She concluded in a whisper as tears welled up in her eyes following the memory of how she was duped by Jack into thinking the worst of her grandfather and the fight before his horrific murder - and her mother's.

"She knows how much you love her," Lauren soothed while pulling a strand of her own hair behind her ear and leaning towards her wife. She placed a comforting arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer as she continued, "…you tell her all the time."

Bo, now feeling the effects of the alcohol and her own regret, gave her answer punctuated with hitching sobs, "Trick told me he loved me, too! And I let Jack manipulate me to turn against him! I can't let her be out alone in the world while he is still out there, waiting for her! I have to protect her, but I can't tell her everything! I can't Lauren! She'll hate me for it!" With this, the sorrowful brunette collapsed in her arms, sobbing uncontrollably now. The doctor, for her part, wrapped her in an embrace and patiently let her vent her feelings, offering no judgment or comment. When she was cried out, Bo finally asked for her wife's advice, murmuring into her now tear soaked shoulder "What do I do now, Lauren?! How do I fix this?"

 _This is probably_ _ **exactly**_ _how Trick felt when Bo found out he hid the past from her!_ Lauren thought as pushed her wife gently away so she could look into her eyes, offering her practical advice instead of her insight, "You dry your eyes, go upstairs, and run a bath…"

"But she's still – " Bo interrupted in protest , eyes and right arm gesturing towards the door. But the good doctor would have none of it. She was asked to interfere now, and so she would.

"…Let me finish!" She interjected sternly, not continuing until she had the succubus' full attention. "I'll call Vex and Mark's place and make sure she made it there OK. They'll take care of her and keep her safe – you know that!" When she didn't receive an affirmation, but a scowl in response, she prompted her wife to acknowledge the truth of her statement. "Answer me Bo - you do know they love her and will keep her safe?"

Under her wife's stern gaze, Bo admitted the pair of dark fae lovers would never cause her sister any harm, no matter her own distain for their choice when it came to dark fae politics, but couldn't help add her own reservations, "Of course they'll protect her, they love her, too! But they are both pledged to the dark and – "

"…and NOTHING." Dr. Lewis' eyes bored into her as she forced Bo to think rationally and not let her prejudices or emotions drive her to anymore rash decisions. When the succubus' expression turned dark with anger in a knee-jerk reaction to her contrary statement, she continued, holding her wife's face gently in both of her hands, but not backing down. "You asked me what to do, and so I am telling you. This isn't about Dark, Light, or Unaligned. It's about family." She received a slight nod and sniffle in answer, so went on, "After I make sure she is safe, I'll come upstairs and join you. Then you can tell me what happened, or not. You can decide what to do tomorrow, and talk with her after you have both calmed down. Nothing is going to get resolved tonight. Not even my fae DNA inheritance analysis." She smiled warmly, letting her lover know that the she didn't take the emotional rollercoaster they had been on this evening personally.

Bo sighed in resignation. "You're right….you're always right." She kissed her wife tenderly before standing up and making her way to the stairs leaving Lauren to phone the Mesmer in private, but grabbed another bottle and the corkscrew on the way as Lauren wasted no time in making sure the headstrong young Valkyrie had made it to Vex's place.

Bo took her clothes off slowly as she waited for the bath to fill. Thinking back to all the times she had retreated to her bubble bath to soothe her troubled mind when she lived in the clubhouse brought a wistful smile to her face. Once fully disrobed, she filled her empty glass and sank gratefully into half-filled tub of warm soapy water with a sigh. She wondered sadly about how everything had become so screwed up in her life and what she possibly could have done to prevent it, current crisis included, and was startled out of her reverie by the appearance of one Lauren Lewis in the bathroom doorway. She was leaning against the door frame smiling at her, wearing nothing but what God had graced her with upon her birth – and it took the succubus' breath away. Yes, her body wasn't as toned as it once was, but it still elicited a lustful response from her partner of more than 10 years.

Sitting with her mouth open, Bo suddenly became aware not only of her wife's surprising nudity but that she had actually spoken. Lauren had always nagged her about leaving clothes on the floor and separating laundry, but from her appearance so soon after Bo came upstairs made the succubus believe that the stairs just may be littered with her wife's garments. She gulped heavily and decided ignore her conjecture over the doctor's sudden lapse in her lifelong habit of neatness. "Ah sorry, did you say something?" Bo was in a daze born of a combination of alcohol and emotional exhaustion now, heightened by her love for her wife and her patience - punctuated by her never fading lust for her.

Lauren grinned, well aware of the effect she was having on her partner, and poured herself another glass of red wine before turning off the water and squeezing in behind Bo in the tub. "I said she's fine. She's venting all of her problems out to Mark, and Vex assured me they will make sure she stays there for the night until you come over to talk to her." She took a drink and set her glass down, picking up a sponge in its place and began slowly bathing the love of her life, kissing the top of her head briefly to let her know there was no grudge between them as far as she was concerned.

The succubus merely hummed in acknowledgement, reveling in the attention her wife was showering upon her. Many minutes passed wordlessly as Lauren sensually took her time with her self-appointed task, and when finished with her lovers back, pulled her gently against her and started bathing the front of her body. Bo, in the midst of her joyous mood, realized how hurtful she had acted in anger this evening, both towards Lauren and Dagny. The only way to she would be able to enjoy fully her lover's attention without guilt would be explain to her what had happened. She sighed, and muttered, "I really screwed up today….again." When the doctor's only response was to pause to top off their glasses of wine, she felt all the more encouraged to get it all off her chest. "Where do I begin?"

Lauren's hands never shirked their task, washing agonizingly slowly yet inexorably southward as she leaned in and whispered into Bo's ear with a smile the Succubus could feel rather than see, "At the beginning…"

 _Gods below, this woman can play me like a fiddle!_ The brunette thought as she spilled her guts, "Well, we went over to Dyson's to help him clean out his apartment…"


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer - No copyright infringement intended with this derivative work I have no intention of profiting from.

Dawning of a Valkyrie

Chapter 2: The Orchestra Tunes Up

 _Gods below, this woman can play me like a fiddle!_ The succubus thought as she spilled her guts, "Well, it all started when Dyson was cleaning out his apartment…"

 _ **Earlier that afternoon…**_

"Hey! Ladies – thanks for coming over!" Dyson greeted the sisters warmly as he opened the door to his apartment/gym and ushered them inside. They were here at his request; after years of delaying the inevitable he had decided to move into Trick's quarters at the Dal. It only made sense, since he spent most of his time at the Dal now anyways. And Mark had long ago moved out to live with Vex. Being the defacto elder statesman of the Light fae was a full-time job, and being awoken in the middle of the night by an emergency call would be easier to deal with if he lived at the way station and didn't have to make the drive there at the drop of a hat. Over the years he had slowly spent more and more of his nights at the Dal; after hours and not merely as a simple barkeep. Now moving there was merely a formality; a formality that officially closed a chapter in his life.

"Well, Wolfie, this is the last time! Can't let you keep taking advantage of the only gal you know with a truck!" Dagny smirked, physically colliding into him "accidentally on purpose" as she bumped past him into the room.

Bo followed her in and rolled her eyes in apology for her sister's rudeness, but the shifter took it all in stride and countered chuckling, "REALLY! Well, allow me to retort – now I am forced to remind you of _whom_ it was that convinced your sister to allow you to get your license and truck to begin with! You OWE me! I'm usually too polite to remind a person, but in your case- I **will** make an exception!" Getting any sort of government ID for a fae meant forging a lot of documents, and Dyson was now the go-to guy to get those documents from fae government workers.

Dagny rolled her eyes at this. She hated being reminded that she relied heavily on her family and longed to be independent; and free of her domineering, secretive sister. "Whatever! Well, let's get this over with – what do you want me to do? Can't let it be said that I didn't pay what I owed!" She clapped her hands and rubbed them together, truly happy to help despite the faux petulant attitude she put forth. She enjoyed the times she spent with the wolf shifter and his son – it was her sister's company that actually irked her.

"You can help Mark pack up everything in the trophy case in the workout room. That's the only things left I want to keep. And load up boxes from the closet in the storage room. You two can take that stuff to the Salvation Army. And yes, this will be the last load." He smiled and watched the young fae as she hurried off to the other room, leaving him alone with the woman he still loved. "Make sure you label the boxes!" he shouted after her.

Once Dagny was out of earshot, Bo finally spoke. "I can't believe you are finally moving out of here and living in Trick's quarters at the Dal." Her voice was touched with a hint of nostalgia and sadness. She understood why he didn't move in sooner – the former Blood King's lose was hard on all of them and mourning him properly was delayed too long by the fight with Hades. And so the lingering sorrow for him festered making all of them overly reluctant to change the familiar places he frequented – and lived.

Dyson sighed. "Me either. But I think it's time." He smiled sanguinely, the new wrinkles around his mouth and eyes only adding an aire of wisdom to his assertion. "With the Light and Dark re-organizing and choosing new leaders, I think its important the way station has someone there to ensure all who ask for sanctuary be assured it will be granted right away – no matter the time of day or night. Especially the Unaligned, while they are trying to find their place in the colony."

She acknowledged the truth of his statement. Her own life was now occupied by investigating and preventing attacks on fae who chose not to declare for either side. The unintended consequence of the rise of the Unaligned was the other two sides were getting closer politically to unite against the new interlopers. Meetings and negations where complicated and tedious, and now the Unaligned were organizing to join the clan system and get an official seat at the table; demanding the universal rules of fae behavior rewritten. The Blood Laws.

He opened a cooler he had obviously brought with him and pulled them two bottles of Dark Belch out of the ice. Given the absence of furniture, he opted to hop up and sit on the counter without the aid of his hands. After she joined him, he handed her a beer. They sat in silence for a few minutes, both reminiscing about people and times long past. Both thinking despite the battles they fought to end the division of the fae seemed to be heading for a three-way split instead. Both avoiding the subject they really needed to discuss.

Bo played with the label of her beer bottle as she mulled over whether or not she should elicit the shifter's advice or commiseration for the ever increasing tension between her and her sister. She instead opted for a neutral subject, but one she was genuinely curious about, "So you never said, but what's going to happen to this place?"

Dyson perked up and let out a deep rumbling laugh, "Now, there's a story. Vex and Mark are going to buy the place." Shaking his head in disbelief, he drank from his beer, leaving the Succubus puzzled yet grateful he had lifted the mood.

"What's so funny about that? I think it's kind of nice." She gave him a good-natured shove with her shoulder.

"Well, I offered to give it to them, free of charge, as a wedding present. Mark objected because he said they intended to build something on their own, together, without my help. But **Vex -** Vex had a little fit saying this was just a business venture and insisting they had no plans as of yet to wed because he couldn't be that respectable all at once. 'I DO have a reputation to uphold!'" Dyson mocked in a feigned British accent and once again chuckled a little. He didn't say it outright, but his words and attitude spoke to the fact that he believed the Mesmer was far more smitten with his son than the other way around.

"Oh my God, Vex! He still is a little shit!" she laughed out, both at the hilariously accurate imitation of the Mesmer's speech and mannerisms whenever he felt indignant, and in unspoken acknowledgement of the tender yet proud heart of Evony's former right hand man.

"Mmmmhhh" he hummed out as he was drinking, and pulled the bottle away from his mouth, "I think they are going to turn it into some Dark fae boxing nightclub venue. 'High Class' he tells me, but won't give any other details. Gonna BLOW my mind when I see it finished, apparently. Vex sent some appraiser, er broker, …consultant guy down to check it out. Slimy little dark fae runt he called 'Ball Sack! Close talker, too.'" grinning, he took another sip of his beer.

"Ball Sack! That is an unfortunate nickname." Bo chuckled, "You guys can be really cruel!" The succubus swung her legs back and forth a bit as she took a drink of her own beer, silent as she concentrated on something nibbling at the back of her mind that was trying to gnaw its way out of her subconscious.

"Bo?" Dyson had his own nagging thought that made its way into the conversation before the succubus could identify what was bothering her.

"Hhmmm?" she answered, still slightly distracted.

"I found something I want to give Dagny. I know she's been more…difficult, lately. Thought I should ask you first."

* * *

"Thought about what you want to do for a living? Vex will be hiring people soon. I'm sure he'd give you a job." Mark asked as Dagny knelt and helped him pack the trophies from Dyson's cabinet.

She shrugged, "I thought about being a cop, like my mother. But Bo won't let me do anything until after my dawning. Kind of hard to make plans when I'm not really sure when it's going to be. Could be a hundred years from now. Could be tomorrow. Bo says it will probably be sooner rather than later, since Valkyrie grow so fast and even her Dawning came way earlier than everyone expected. But I still can't really control my powers. I'm not even really sure what all of them are."

Mark looked up from his work and grinned affectionately at the young girl. "Yeah, I know what you mean. I felt so weird before I shifted for the first time. At least Dyson was there to help me."

"Really? What could he have possibly done to help you? Hmm? Did daddy clean your litter box to get you eating out of his hand? Oh, I got it – he poured you a bowl of Meow Mix! Better!" she mocked, thinking how much easier it would be if she were a simple fae whose presumed powers were less shrouded in mystery as her own.

Laughing a bit at her joke, and understanding she didn't mean it maliciously - he answered, "Something like that." She turned her head to look at him over her shoulder when he didn't answer with an expected quip of his own. They shared a serious moment and he explained, "He was there. He talked to me. He said he loved me. It was enough." She was the one to break the mood as she turned her eyes back to the task at hand.

Handing Mark the last of the trophies from the case, she stood up and started on the framed photographs hanging on the back of the cabinet. She paused and looked at it – Dyson in the ring holding a championship belt aloft in triumph. "You're lucky to have at least one of your parents. My father is the most powerful evil entity ever to walk the earth, and I killed my mother being born. I don't even have very many pictures of her. Just a few snapshots Kenzi gave me. Bo said all the pictures she had burned in a house fire."

"Hey now…" he jumped to his feet and gathered her up in a hug from behind. "You still have your sister, and the rest of us."

She shook him off roughly, giving him an icy and indignant glare over her shoulder as she handed him the photograph. "Thanks, but I'm not some kind of emo whiny little bitch looking for sympathy!" she turned back to her chores and explained, "I'm just stating the facts. No one in our family can help me learn what all Valkyrie powers are or how to use any of them. And as for my sister - I'd rather be out on my own. We don't get along."

Mark knelt once more and packed the photo away, not sure what to make of the Valkyrie's cold attitude. _Like mother, like daughter I guess. Or is that daddy's influence…_ "…Sorry for caring…" he muttered.

Dagny turned around slowly, handing him another photo. She smiled wryly and apologized, "No I'm sorry. None of this is your fault, and you can't help me. I shouldn't have dumped my problems on you."

The young shifter looked deeply into her green eyes, "That's what family is for." He told her with all the sincerity he could muster.

She hummed out a smirk and turned brusquely back to her task, "Oh, THAT'S what family is for." She feigned sudden realization with her back turned, kneeling and fussing with something at the back of the cabinet, adding sarcastically, "I always wondered. I thought family just held you prisoner and kept secrets from you."

"You know that's not true. We listen to each others' problems, even if we can't solve them. We're here for each other; we help each other…" the young shifter continued emphatically, understanding he was the person who had the most in common with the young Valkyrie and had the best chance of breaking through her icy façade. "Listen I get it - I know what it felt like to not know who or what you were. What it's like to have a relative who was a stranger to you for so long suddenly dictate how you live your life. How it feels to be an outsider…" he trailed off when she didn't respond, musing Bo experienced those exact struggles, too. But the Succubus now being the most powerful fae in the colony, and probably the world, made it difficult for the young blonde to connect with her. The Succubus could be a powerful shot caller, when she felt like it. Most times she just called the shot only when Dagny was concerned, or so the young Valkyrie believed.

Dagny sat back on her heels from what she was doing with a loud huff, blowing the hair out of her eyes, before turning around. "OK, then help me now – this last picture frame is screwed to the back of the cabinet, and it's facing backwards! What the hell?"

Mark dropped his attempt at a serious conversation with his friend and chortled out a short laugh. "Oh yeah, I forgot about that! That's the 'forbidden picture.' I asked about it once; Dyson said it was never to see the light of day, and if I wanted him to continue to respect my wish to have a relationship with Vex even though he is against it – I would respect his wish that I never bring it up again. The key to a happy relationship is compromise and sacrifice, he always tells me. That advice has always worked for me. So, our job is done." He stood up hefting the box they had just packed. "Vex and my family are WAY more important to me than some stupid picture."

But the Valkyrie was curious, and too clever by half for her own good. She stood to look him in the eye and reasoned, "Well, if family doesn't keep secrets…AND we help each other…I need a screwdriver. How about a little compromise? He DID tell me to pack everything in here. Aren't you going to help me, a member of your family, now?" She crossed her arms and tilted her head to one side; daring him to try and argue against his own logic, the corners of her mouth pulled into a self-satisfied smirk. Their impasse didn't last overly long, but the few seconds the oversized and old fashioned fight clock on the wall ticked off loudly in the silence made it seem more of a old west showdown; neither moving as she waited patiently for an answer.

 _OK, that is_ _ **definitely**_ _her mother's influence. That's pretty much how I picture Tamsin in my mind. Just like the first day I met her._ "Dagny, you are asking me to defy my father. He's family, too." He told her bluntly, his attempted stern look failing to impress the young Valkyrie judging by how she only raised an eyebrow in response. _Great,_ he thought, _I painted myself into a corner with her. I'm not doing this - Dyson will be pissed at me again, just when him and Vex are finally getting along really well._ "No, Dagny." He said more concisely, and with finality, and turned to take the box outside.

"Hhmmm, I see. Well, since you laid so knowledge on me, allow me to return the favor." He turned around to see her expression had changed into one of contempt. Once she had his full attention, she pointing an accusing finger at him with her other hand on her hip, "I may be younger than you, but I KNOW actions speak louder than words. That means what you said to me is BULLSHIT! And the only relationship you DON'T care about is the one you have with me!" She crossed her arms again, already aware she had won. The successful manipulation brought her more joy than she had felt in a long time. _Damn that felt good! Might not be the stuff I am really trying to find out about, but what the hell! Let's just see what the wolf has swept under the carpet for so long! Should be good for a laugh, and I will get some payback for all the time he narked on me to Bo. No one else needs to know…for now…_

He shook his head in defeat, informing her deliberately in a low conspiratorial tone, "I'm going to take this box to your truck. There may or may not be a small tool bag containing screwdrivers in my car, which I'll probably unlock ' _accidently_ ' when I bump the remote on your tailgate. I'm denying everything, and I WILL ' _try_ ' to stop you…" with a knowing look, he turned to do just that.

She squealed quietly in delight, hopping joyfully behind him so closely she bumped into him when he stopped abruptly.

He told her over his shoulder, "Ah, ah, no! Grab a box, too. Might be suspicious if they see us and you aren't carrying one out, too!" he explained with a wink and a smile. _Ha! She played me as easily as one does a pipe, as Vex says when he's quoting his English buddy Will. Well, I'm not such a bad musician myself; and I'm not carrying all this stuff by myself!_

"Are you aware of what a bossy A-HOLE you've gotten since you made detective?" she asked sarcastically, but doing as he asked. _Well, at least we are playing on the same sheet of music..._ She thought, _…which is more than I can say for Bo. She really needs to get in tune._

"Are YOU aware of how much you sound like your MOTHER?!" he asked in kind, heading outside. Comparing a young woman to her mother was time-honored way of getting under most gal's skins, as well the reason many husbands, or wives, spent lonely nights on the couch after dropping that truth bomb on their lady in an argument. But its iconic pop trope significance was lost on the 10 year old who was physically and mentally much older, but lagged in intellectual, emotional and cultural awareness.

This rattled her a bit, but not for the reason he intended. She understood it was meant to be an insult, but wasn't sure if it was a generality or specific to her & her mother. Her emotions weren't betrayed by her voice when she gave the expected denial, "Ah, no I'm NOT." But she couldn't resist her curiosity, asking "In what way?"

The feline shifter was oblivious to her internal confusion, and continued their playfully insulting banter, "Like this: If anyone stood in her way, she could be one scary B-"

 _ **Right now…**_

"…one scary B-"

"Wait, how do you know what Mark and Dagny said or what they were thinking when you were in the other room?" Lauren asked in confusion, ceasing to bathe her wife and grabbing a bottle of shampoo while she interrupted for clarification.

Bo was frustrated again now, but for entirely different reasons than earlier. However, her attitude seemed to imply otherwise as she leaned forward and looked over her shoulder at Lauren. "I'll get to that! You asked me to let you finish. Are you gonna let me finish?" she huffed out more gruffly than she intended, oblivious in the heat of the moment to the double entendre.

But the duel meaning of her words was brought pointedly home to her when she saw the doctor's coy smile before she grabbed both sides of her head and turned it around, gently massaging the shampoo into her hair. "Of course I am, babe, of course I am." She soothed, kissing the back of her neck, "But take your time; it's early." She dropped one arm to suck on an earlobe, letting it go ever so reluctantly. To emphasis her point she whispered in her wife's ear once again, "…and we have all night."

The only response she received was a shiver that ran the length of the brunette's body. Lauren didn't need to see Bo's eyes to know they were glowing brilliant blue. Smiling, she throttled back her seduction to keep the Succubus nature of her wife from taking over before her tale was told. "So Dyson gave her something that set her off? Or did she find it in the trophy case?"

"Huh?…oh yes…I mean no…it's….you know she has been like a long simmering pot that might boil over at second…" Bo stumbled, hands gesturing to and fro as she tried to answer the question with a simple answer, finding it impossible to do so.

"Mmmm, yes, I am quite familiar with the metaphor." Lauren agreed with a bemused tone, both to herself and her lover.

Bo got it. "Not helping, Lauren." The brunette retorted flatly with the faintest of smiles, trying to both enjoy her wife's attention and keep it from distracting her from finishing her story.

"Sorry dear." was the equally neutral reply. "Tilt your head back." The brunette complied with tightly closed eyes and let Lauren pour water over her hair to rinse it. With hands gently running down Bo's long dark hair to squeeze the soap out of it, the doctor moved the story along. "She found something in the trophy case, and Dyson wanted to give her something. Not sure if they were one in the same, but go on."

"OK, let me think…Dyson had found some of Tamsin's things in a box in the closet. I didn't even know he had them. Apparently, he didn't remember either, until today. He told me about it, and asked if he could give them to Dagny, and I said-"


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended.

Dawning of a Valkyrie

Chapter 3: The Overture

 _ **Right now…**_

"OK, let me think…Dyson had found some of Tamsin's things in a box in the closet. I didn't even know he had them. Apparently, he didn't remember either, until today. He told me about it, and asked if he could give them to Dagny, and I said-"

 _ **Earlier that afternoon…**_

"Of course, Dyson – but not the gun. At least not now. Can you keep it for her?" Bo had agreed readily to the wolf's request to return Tamsin's belongings the police had removed from the wreck of her truck after she drove it off a cliff. It wasn't much – papers, some clothes, keys, a green leather jacket, some tools, her badge, gun & police ID, and a picture of Bo in a Ziploc bag. He had claimed them for her, but after dissuading her from re-joining the force after her rebirth and persuading her to partner up with Bo; they had languished forgotten in a box until now. The Succubus had been hurting over the loss of Kenzi; her best friend and sister in every way except genetically and needed a loyal friend who could distract her from her grief. Tamsin was the perfect choice, he decided. A decision although well-intended, he was re-evaluating more and more lately – at first out of guilt for his inadvertent part in the sequence of events that led to the death of his partner. But he was now also seeing it as a strategic error easily made by a man whose forte was tactics. But the battles with Hades were over for now, which meant the need for a tactician was, too. Now was the time to master the art of strategy. Giving Dagny her mother's belongings, and getting Bo's blessing were part of that process.

"No, you're right. She shouldn't have a weapon until she is trained properly. Maybe one day Mark and I can teach her how to safely handle a gun and to shoot?" he asked tentatively.

"Dyson – she IS a weapon. She doesn't need a gun." Bo told him pointedly, giving him back the words he told her so long ago.

"No, Bo…she has the potential to be a weapon – an incredibly powerful weapon. But right now she is a vulnerable young Valkyrie." He stared at the bottle he was turning idly in his hand before catching her brown eyes again. "I thought she would have gained full control of her powers by now, but that may be normal for a first life Valkyrie. And I don't think I need to tell you how dangerous it is for her until she can defend herself."

"I know, believe me I know." She muttered with an eye roll, slightly frustrated. She motioned him to hand her another beer. "All those fae hounded Tamsin for a lock of her hair. And Massimo…" He opened another bottle and handed it to her, waiting for her to continue, "…he literally obsessed over it. I've told her all over this, repeatedly! Yet she still runs off. Last time, one of Vex's flunkies found her hitch hiking 50 miles away. And now she has her own vehicle. Thanks for that, by the way. It'll make it soooo much easier for her to take off on us."

"Bo, her phone and vehicle both have trackers on them." He stated with finality. This argument was already over.

"Yes, they do. **I know** that. But do you believe for one _second_ that _she_ doesn't know that? Hum? Or that she isn't working hard on finding out how to disable or defeat them in some way? She is dead set on taking off before she can control her powers or complete her Dawning!"

"Well, Kenzi ran away from her mother, too. Maybe she learned it from her." Dyson quipped.

"I am NOT her **mother**!" Bo coldly denied.

"But you **do** act like it sometimes." This only earned him a glare in response so he rubbed his beard thoughtfully with his free hand, trying to proceed more tactfully, "Well, maybe she just needs space to find herself. All of do some times."

"She isn't lost, like I was! She has a FAMILY! She knows who she is, where she came from! Sh-"

"DOES she? She's a Valkyrie. You can't teach her how to be one." he interrupted with eyebrows raised. "You had family with Trick, and remember how angry you got when he couldn't, or wouldn't tell you everything you wanted to know about your-"

"Hey D-man! Look what I found! You got some 'splaining to do!" Dagny's exuberant voice announced her imminent arrival and interrupted them. The Wolf and Succubus shared a stern look that made clear to each other that their conversation would be continued later as the Valkyrie ran into the room.

She presented the photo for the scrutiny of the pair seated on the counter with arms extended and a wide, self-satisfied grin as Mark hurried up behind her in a failed attempt to stop her. But it was too late – Dyson clapped a hand to cover his red-faced expression and groaned. "Oh gods of my ancestors, how could I have forgotten **that**!"

Mark opened his mouth and began stuttering out a halting apology. It wasn't registered by anyone as Bo opened her mouth wide in surprise and amusement, hopped down from her perch and rubbed salt into her former lover's wounded pride. "Hohoho! The BET! This is the FORBIDDEN PHOTO!"

 _ **Right now…**_

" _ **The**_ FORBIDDEN PHOTO! You saw it!" Lauren exclaimed in excitement, forgetting her interest in the cause of the fight between the sisters for a second. It was a legend among their family, and she was curious.

"Ohhh yeah! We ALL saw it!" she grinned widely. "It was just like I imagined it, only better!"

 _ **Earlier that afternoon…**_

It was indeed an embarrassing photo for Dyson. It was a framed black and white 8 X 10, and it was obviously taken in the ring in the next room. Dyson, in boxing trunks, gloves, high heels and crudely applied makeup was holding up a placard like a caricature of a ring girl. On the placard in bold letters was written "I SUCK & WILL ALWAYS LOSE TO TAMSIN." And Tamsin was in the photo, too, showing off her toned abs in a sports bra and tight shorts, gloved hands raised triumphantly. She was apparently giddy with the situation; the evil open mouthed smile and wickedly mischievous look in her eyes were a testament to that fact.

Bo took the proffered picture in her hands, her mind now dredging up happier times. Memories of the way it was before Tamsin's rebirth. Before Hades. Before the night of Zues' epic storm. Before…she shook her head to stop the invading army of old regrets from overwhelming the warm and friendly reminisces of good times. But the bad memories were powerful and rallied: Hale's death, Kenzi's departure, Trick and Aife's horrific death after she doubted their loyalty, failing once again to trust Lauren's judgment, how easily she played into her father's hands…Thankfully, her sister's inquisitive nature broke through the battle lines and saved her happy mood from the unpleasant memories that nearly won the war.

"Well…Dyson…Bo?..." Dagny was literally hopping with joy and curiosity.

"Uhm….Dyson?" the brunette turned to look at her companion, eyes pleading silently for him to answer how he wanted to handle the situation.

He had opened another beer during the lull in conversation and drank half of it one gulp before responding. With a sweep of his arm, he bestowed upon Bo the honor of embarrassing him further. "Go ahead. You field this one." He leaned back, head against the cabinets and waited for the Succubus to tell the story.

Bo, for her part, was grateful for the chance to bond with her sister over a happy memory of the Valkyrie's mother, even if it was at Dyson's expense. She smiled her thanks warmly to him before she turned to her sister and began her tale. "Well, long ago, we were all at the Dal. Dyson and your mother were partners on the police force. They were playing pool and arguing over who would win an important hokey match….St. Louis and Edmonton…maybe…or New York and Maple Leafs…" When Dyson offered no help to jog her memory she shook her head before continuing. Those details weren't important to the story, and the two youngsters were waiting patiently to hear the rest of the story.

"…doesn't matter. Tamsin rooted for the American team, Dyson the Canadian. Yeah, I DO remember that! Americans are always the underdogs in hockey and soccer. Anyways - they were drunk and getting loud and aggressive, AS USUAL, disturbing the entire bar, so Trick suggested they settle it over a bet. Tamsin claimed that she didn't have enough money to spare for cash or drink bet. Trick…" Bo began to snicker a bit, making both Mark and Dagny raise their eyebrows and look at each other in confusion for a second until the Succubus pulled herself together. "Sorry…uh Trick pointed out that Tamsin valued her pride more than anything, and Dyson was also arrogant in his own way – the winner should be able to publicly embarrass the loser and be done with it." She handed back the photo to her sister; the girl hanging on her every word. "A contract was negotiated, witnessed, and signed. If I remember correctly, a lot of people at the bar contributed in suggesting the terms!...we were tired of the macho pissing contests between those two ruining the mood at the Dal…Sorry…" She excused herself as she couldn't control her mirth, " Uh uhm, They signed it, sealed it, entered it into the permanent record and gave their Blood Oaths! Oh yes, those two insisted on making it all official…and - Dyson lost. He had to have this picture made, because of a drunken Blood Oath bet, AND permanently display it in his trophy case, as long as they both shall live!"

" **Aha!** But I had a loophole!" the wolf finally chimed in leaning forward, explaining the rest of the mystery as Bo once again couldn't help but dissolve into laughter at the memory. "I took the picture with a camera on a tripod, developed it at the precinct's film lab, and brought Tamsin over to witness me screw it into the back of my trophy case – facing the wall! Only she and I have ever seen it…until now." He concluded in feigned defeat.

"You…CHEATED! Shame on you!" Dagny exclaimed in mock outrage, looking up from one of the few pictures she had ever seen of her mother.

"I agree. Not cool to welch on a bet or a Blood Oath!" Mark offered in support, hands in his back pocket and goofy expression lighting up his whole face. _It ain't everyday someone gets one over on Dyson! Damn that girl is something else! Why is it is the only person she can't get along with is her sister?_

"No, I exploited a loophole!" Dyson explained, toasted her and took another swig of his beer.

Dagny scrunched her nose in irritation at the shifter, but her playful demeanor disappeared quickly as she furrowed her eyebrows and looked down thoughtfully at the photo. This gesture earned Bo's full attention and put the succubus on alert. _She is so much like her mother! I can practically hear the gears turning in her head; analyzing every word, expression, gesture and nuance whenever someone speaks! I bet I know just where this conversation is going…._

"After that, we called a truce." The shifter continued, either unaware or unconcerned of the change in Dagny's mood and the more obvious trepidation it caused his former lover, "And I was thankful for it. Because when she was on your side, she was all in, no matter the odds. And when she was not…she let you know – in no uncertain terms. She was the bravest, most noble warrior I ever encountered. A force unto herself…" the shifter trailed off, apparently affected by his own words and memories of his former partner.

 _Blah, Blah, Blah – honest, loyal, brave, noble, fierce…that's all I hear about my mother from my family! Why is everyone always talking about her to me like they are giving a eulogy? I want to know what happened. I want to know what she was_ _ **really**_ _like – not the Disney version! What would my mother find most embarrassing? What was she ashamed of?_ "So…if this was YOUR punishment, wh-" the young Valkyrie began before being abruptly cut off by her older sister, who did indeed correctly guess what she was thinking.

"Hey Dyson! Would it be alright if Dagny kept the picture? You are released from your Blood Oath and contract, after all." She chirped brightly clapping her hands together with a smile. She hoped the gift of the picture would distract the young fae from asking questions she didn't want answered, at least not now. _Please, Dagny just drop it! Now is not the time for us to get more distant instead of closer!_ Almost as if she could hear her sister's thoughts, the Valkyrie looked up quickly to shoot a look at the succubus watching her. And because Bo was carefully observing everything her sister did in that moment she saw the look. Lasting only a millisecond – if she had blinked she would have missed it - it was a look of disappointment, longing, and despair typical of a person who had just been betrayed. A look that tipped the scales in favor of the bad memories the Succubus had battled and thought vanquished for today, at least. Because the one element that was missing from that similar look Tamsin had given Bo was surprise. And its absence is what hurt Bo more than anything.

But the young blonde's eyes darted swiftly from Bo's to the shifter as she put on a show of gratitude and appeasement, almost as if the moment between the sisters never happened. And indeed, it seemed as if it was just imagined it as the blonde fae changed the subject just as the succubus had hoped. "Oh, please Uncle Dyson?" she begged, using her affectionate term for him. "I promise not to show it to anyone!" she pursed her lips in an exaggerated pouting face she knew would work on him.

Tipping his beer back to finish it, the wolf gave a sidelong glance at the brunette she couldn't quite read before replying. "Alright. It's yours." He quickly interrupted the celebratory display the Valkyrie was putting on by adding in a raised voice, "But enough slacking already you two!" He set his empty bottle down and clapped his hands authoritatively. "Get those boxes loaded up and out of here! We've all got work to do! And if you do a good job, I have another surprise for you!"

Try as she might, the young Valkyrie couldn't stop the look of pure joy that graced her features. Once she got her rebelling facial expression subdued, the snarkiness she was famous for took over once more, "You are such a slave driver, Dyson!" Dagny joked with another scrunch of her nose as she turned on her heels to leave with her prize tucked carefully under her arm.

"Oh, so it's just 'Dyson' now is it?" he mocked as he moved to gather the cleaning supplies cluttering the corner of his kitchen.

In answer the Valkyrie shot him a wink over her shoulder as she exited the room, Mark in tow, hurriedly following like a dutiful dog.

"You planned this all, didn't you?" she hissed at the wolf.

"Planned what?" he whispered back in a mock conspiratorial tone.

Bo stared at the doorway the pair of young fae had disappeared through for several long moments and sighed sadly. Dyson seemed emotionally unaffected by the proceeding conversation and have an easy rapport with her sister. As he handed her a broom she shared this thought, asking him half-jokingly if it was because he more charming than her or if it was because he had simply drank more beer than she had today.

"Oh, I don't know, Bo! You forget; I had a lot of practice dealing with rebellious youth when Mark showed up." he answered in a chuckle as he began the task of cleaning. As an afterthought he looked up, leaning on his own broom and adding, "Or maybe it's all her. Look how she has Mark and I wrapped around her little finger! I swear, Vex would be jealous if he wasn't under her spell as well! She does have the Devil's own charm!"

It was a flippant comment, she knew, but the deeper implications made her blood run cold. "I don't think that's funny."

 _ **Right now…**_

"Dyson's right about that, you know." Lauren commented finally. She had resisted the urge to interrupt at several other junctions of the story, but she couldn't resist pointing out the shifter's intuition was on point.

" **Lau-ren**!" the Succubus exclaimed, eyes wide open in shock.

"He's right – get over it." Dr. Lewis was already out of the tub and wrapped in a towel. She opened the towel she was holding equally wide as her partner's eyes to wrap with as soon as she stepped out of the tub herself. But Bo refused to move at the obvious invitation. "Come on, get out. Let's get you dried off." The blonde demanded.

The Succubus stepped out of the tub with an aire of indigence and arrogance not many people can pull off sopping wet and naked as the day they were born. She refused the offer of the towel and stated, "I can't believe you're taking his side!"

"I'm not – I am merely pointing out that many personality traits seem to be inherited. She can be very charming. You, yourself, are very charming. Jack's greatest weapon was his incredible charm, and given your shared genetic heritage it is no surprise that a common inherited gift could cause friction between siblings subconsciously trying to establish dominance. Your status a mature and powerful fae gives you inherent power your sister, and could cause perfectly natural feelings of resentment and mistrust of your intentions in a younger sibling, that are most often discarded upon reaching adulthood. Studies of the behavior of twins, whose DNA is identical, separated at birth the University of-"

"-There's that Doctor talk again! You know-" the Succubus in Bo was taking over as the brunette moved to remove the towel that separated her from her wife's still desirable body. She had only heard bits of what was said to her.

" **Patience**!" Lauren scolded loudly, as she used the distraction to capture her wife with the towel quickly, but started drying off her body painfully slowly. She hoped against reason that her wife had heard what she was trying to tell her, but assumed her genetics and psychology lesson had unintended consequences. "You are dripping wet!" she added a statement of the obvious physical state of Bo, drenching the bathroom rug and floor.

"Hhummmm, **YES** I am!" Bo agreed with a giggle, but didn't resist her utilitarian efforts.

"I see. Well, would you rather spend the rest of the evening cleaning the bathroom while I finish my work, or - " she inhaled deeply, nose buried in the Succubus' wet hair; hands rubbing the towel gently over skin, " – hold my undivided attention all night?" she finished in another whisper, making sure she had Bo's own full attention.

"Where was I…maybe…ahhh…maybe I should skip ahead a bit…?"

Dr. Lewis had finished drying her wife leaned forward to kiss her deeply before answering with a caring yet sultry look. She wiped stray water escaping from her eyebrows to make a run down the sides of her face with both thumbs. "OK. But not too far. It's not the destination that counts; it's the journey that makes the trip worthwhile!"

After Lauren broke their lingering gaze and embrace she turned and headed to the bedroom. Bo followed anxiously, both of them still wrapped in towels, Bo began glossing over her story to get to the end of it before they reached their shared bed – eager for the destination, journey be damned. "Right, so, we clean up boring conversation with Dyson, fae politics blah blah blah, Mark and Dagny deliver the boxes, Vex comes over more fae politics blah blah blah Mark and Dagny come back she gets pissed drives home without me Mark gives me a ride home and you know the rest." She finished her story with a triumphant smile and grand sweeping gesture with one arm as she entered the bedroom behind Lauren who had whirled on her as soon as she passed over the threshold.

The blonde stared judgmentally into the gleaming blue eyes smiling back at her. "That's it? You're finished?"

 _Damn that woman!_ She knew the implication of her statement. "Uh, ummm…no...?"

"So, what was that inane babbling all about?" when Dr. Lewis crossed her arms, she looked formidably angry. And sexy. It was a conundrum that kept Bo in line, and ever so interested in her wife.

"A…roadmap?... preview?...Coming attractions trailer? Overture!"

"You're tripping over your tongue, Bo!" Lauren couldn't help herself and laughed. "Lay down, start where you left off… and I will, too." _How does she keep me wanting her? We are so different, yet make beautiful sense together._

"Yes ma'am!" Bo gave a little salute to the doctor's superior skills at the game of seduction, and hopped up to sit on the bed and watch Lauren as she seemed to be looking through the dresser drawers for something. "Well…let's see, yeah - I didn't like Dyson's little comment, so he apologized and said he was only using an old metaphor without thinking. So we just clean up for a while. I think Mark and Dagny left with the boxes at some point – I don't know – she does whatever she wants and doesn't tell me anything! But, I'm jumping ahead…" She shook her head in resignation, much like any parent talking about their own teenager who was going through the 'rebellious phase.' "So, Dyson and I made some small talk and then, he changed the subject to something even more irritating – politics!"

"Oh no, not that again…" the towel draped blonde commiserated with her back still turned.

"Oh yeah – THAT! So he says to me," she dropped her voice an octave to mimic the shifter more effectively, "'Bo, you know - '"

 _ **Earlier that afternoon…**_

"- the Unaligned have been insisting on electing a leader. Things are getting serious. They would feel safer if - "

"We've been over this, Dyson. I'm not having this conversation again." Bo swept more vigorously in irritation that didn't yet manifest itself in her voice as he brought up the current sore subject between them.

"They are under threat, Bo! They're scared. They want a leader, and laws to protect them."

She stopped and turned on him, "What's the point of being Unaligned if you act EXACTLY like the two groups of morons you didn't want to join in the first place?" The broom fell free of her hands and clattered to the floor as her hands felt compelled to go to her hips in order to accentuate her aggressive stance. Irritation was in full control of all of her motor functions now.

He wasn't backing down, though – not this time. "The Dark AND the Light are re-organizing. The Ancients and your father killed many of the elders on both sides, disrupted the old Blood Laws, but that chaos allowed new leaders to rise to power. They are both actively recruiting the Unaligned to their sides, or attacking them. Sometimes; killing them."

"Dyson, I KNOW that! I am doing my best to stop it! I am out there, every day, investigating and bringing the perpetrators to justice!" she was gesticulating wildly with her arms she had seemingly lost control off.

The shifter was silent for a moment, before laying a hard truth on her, "I know you are. _I know_. But you can't protect them all, Bo. Bringing the attackers you are able to catch to jail won't protect them all. And having a leader and rules of behavior will allow them to negotiate truces and laws all sides can respect." He calmly leaned against a counter; arms crossed, and waited her to try to deny that fact.

Instead, she countered with another fact, "Well, the Dark and the Light haven't got a leader right now, either!" she crossed her own arms to mirror his stance and thought the matter settled.

"No, you're wrong. The Light have nominated candidates, and the Dark have already chosen a new leader." He stated flatly.

"Really! OK, well who is this mysterious new leader of the Dark?" she asked, imagining there couldn't possibly be a Dark adversary worthy of opposing her.

His face grew dark in trepidation, as he knew the Succubus would have a strong reaction. Or over-reaction. "It's-"

 _ **Right now…**_

"-EVONY!" Lauren dropped the lingerie she was holding.


	4. Chapter 4

Dawning of a Valkyrie

Chapter 4: The Chorus Sings Exposition

 _ **Earlier that afternoon…**_

"Really! OK, well who is this mysterious new leader of the Dark?" she asked, imagining there couldn't possibly be a Dark adversary worthy of opposing her.

His face grew dark in trepidation, as he knew the Succubus would have a strong reaction. Or over-reaction. "It's-"

 _ **Right now…**_

"-EVONY!" Lauren dropped the lingerie she was holding. "But she's HUMAN!"

"Yeah, I know right! That's just what I said!" Bo agreed enthusiastically.

"Bo, why didn't you tell me this right away?!" Lauren asked, incredulous that sharing this bit of information wasn't a priority as soon as the Succubus found out about it. If Evony was in a position of power with the fae, human or not, it could be very dangerous for her. The Morrigan was not known for her forgiving nature, and it would not be a stretch of the imagination to suspect she may be gunning for the doctor who made her human in the first place.

Bo sighed, she would have normally told her immediately, but today was NOT a normal day. "Babe, I'm sorry. I got so wrapped up into what was happened next that I completely forgot to call you."

"Please tell me how you FORGOT to let me know that the Evony was the Morrigan again." Lauren scolded, a tad miffed and more than a little concerned about Evony's return to power, seduction manipulations now put on hold.

"Oh, but wait - there's more. It gets worse…" Bo wasn't even upset about her wife's interruption and explained her lapse in memory by relating how she was distracted by other events, and understandably so.

 _ **Earlier that afternoon…**_

"I don't know. But I doubt she is human. Either way, as of today – she's the Morrigan again – it's true." He stated emphatically and without any hint of how he felt personally about Evony's surprising re-instatement as the leader of the Dark fae.

"I do NOT believe this. How? … When?..." The Succubus needed further persuading.

"How - I don't know the selection procedures of the Dark. And even if I did before, they may have changed as the Light have also changed their laws. When – at first light this morning. That much I have been told. They should be wrapping up their festivities soon. You know how they love a good party." He ticked off her answers calmly and concisely.

"Who?" she asked. He answered with a confused expression, obviously not understanding her query. "Who told you this? You apparently trust this person enough to believe their information is correct."

He gave a pained look, closed his eyes for a few seconds and after a taking a deep breath told her with a sincere look, "Vex."

"That's it – I'm crashing this party! Where is it?" she marched across the room to get her purse, call Vex and find out where Evony was, call Lauren and let her know what was going on, then make a beeline for the party… But search as she might, she didn't see the black bag she felt sure she had brought in and left on the counter.

 _ **Right now…**_

"Are you making this part up for my benefit?" Lauren asked, referring to the assertion by her wife that she had every intention of calling her at this juncture of the story. They were both sitting on the bed now, the seduction game momentarily forgotten.

"NO! Lauren! How can you believe…ugh…" she had threw her head back and hands up in frustration and disbelief momentarily, and when her words failed her she brought her hands fell down to her towel draped thighs with a muffled clap.

Dr. Lewis moved to kneel in front of her wife and reached for her hands, clasping them. When Bo looked into her eyes, she apologized in her turn, "I'm sorry, babe. I don't think you would neglect to tell me if you truly believed I was in danger. I should let you finish your story."

Bo melted into those light brown eyes, "And, maybe, also finish that journey….?" She asked, trailing off hopefully.

Lauren smiled in understanding, silently assuring her that her trust in Bo was untarnished, "We'll make it a memorable one!" she picked up the discarded lingerie and placed them on Bo's lap. "Put this on, and let's get this show on the road!"

"Right!" the Succubus agreed with a relieved smile as Lauren rose to dress herself, "OK, I realized I left my purse in Dagny's truck …stupid of me I know, but she can be so damn distracting…anyways, so I went to get it…"

 _ **Earlier that afternoon…**_

"Bo, didn't you -" but Dyson was ignored by his former girlfriend as panic began to seize her.

"Shit! I left my purse in the truck! **DAGNY!** **We are** _ **LEAVING**_ **! Let's GO!** " Bo shouted as she headed at a jog for the door, running bodily into Vex, dressed in a black suit and white tie like a circuit riding Baptist preacher.

He wrapped her up in his arms, preventing her from an embarrassing spill, "Well, 'ello to you, too, my lovely!" She was too startled by his unexpected appearance and pre-occupied finding her own footing again to say anything. He took this opening to goad her further, "I must say, after all these years I AM flattered; but _I'm taken, love_." He concluded in a mock hushed, yet salacious tone. She smelled the alcohol on his breath when he had leaned in close to taunt her.

Bo was not amused by his quick wit and extracted herself from his helpful embrace more roughly than she might have on any other occasion. She punctuated her hinted anger with a punch on the Mesmer's shoulder that might have had more force behind it than she intended. "Vex, where is Evony's party?"

He rubbed his shoulder, probably acting more hurt than he actually was in response. But the surprise that colored his words was genuine, "Whut? Didn't you get her invite? She said she Facebooked you and Lauren, and neither one of you responded at all!"

"I got the invite, too, Bo. I told you they were moving to choose leaders. But you refused to talk about it, since so more and more fae have declared themselves Unaligned, and it wasn't important." Dyson gently informed her.

Bo was gobstopped, standing and staring with mouth hanging open, and she vaguely remembered scrolling quickly past it in her notifications, more interested in finding out if Kenzi had posted anything new from Milan. "She didn't say she was going to be the Morrigan. It just said 'Join Evony in her celebration!'"

"Well, how was she to know?! Candidates always have a party during elections! You win – you celebrate. You lose – you drown your sorrows with your mates!" He grinned and looked around the room while rubbing his hands together, eager to get to the point of his visit. "Right, Boll-"

"I've gotta go." Bo announced as panic began to rise in her voice, and she marched to the kitchen's door.

"It's too late, Bo." Vex informed her forcefully. She froze, but didn't turn around to face him, waiting for an explanation. "It's over. Evony is meeting with the new Dark elders and isn't receiving visitors. And I heard you calling for Dagny…" the brunette slowly turned to face him. "She's not here. Tamsin 2.0 and Mark have finished delivering their load and are picking up take-away for us all. He texted me that they should be here in just a tick. You might as well stay here."

Bo's outrage was in full control of her words and actions now, and the use of his witty nickname for her sister didn't help; "I don't think you are in any position to tell me wh-" she strode forward to get closer to Vex when Dyson physically intervened.

"That's enough, Bo." He was in her personal space now, no longer content to let events play out without any attempt to influence them. His stern, authoritative expression had not been directed towards her since before he kneeled and pledged alliance to her as his queen. She was shocked at his sudden appearance between her and the target of her ire. "Vex didn't have anything to do with this, and we both tried to tell you. And **I** am in a position to tell you that you might try focusing more on diplomacy, and less on meting out justice." She glared at him silently, angrier over the fact that he was right than him putting a stop to her interrogation of the Mesmer. But despite her anger and outrage, she involuntarily had taken a step back when the shifter had stepped in authoritatively.

He knew what she was thinking; what was driving her anger and aggressiveness. He continued, taking a step towards her and placing his hand on her shoulders assuring her with gentle grace "Lauren is safe for the foreseeable future. Evony will not move to harm her. Trust me."

"How can you possibly know that, Dyson?" the fear she felt for the safety of her wife now apparent in her voice now that she knew the wolf had recognized it.

"She gave her Blood Oath. As the Morrigan, officially recorded and witnessed by the elders of both the Light, and the Dark…." he paused for effect before dropping the big one on her, "…and also the elders of the Unaligned."

"That agreement holds no teeth as long as the Unaligned have no political structure and there is no sitting Ash. And both the Light and Dark are now hunting down the Unaligned, they have no respect for them!"

"The issue the Light and Dark have with the Unaligned is that some, just _some_ of them, are using it as a banner for lawless anarchy. Once they organize and create rules of behavior they can present to the other two groups, the others will be assured they aren't all lawless thugs – and those who are will be held accountable by their own clan. All this is already in the works. All they need is – a leader." He concluded with a smug grin and raised eyebrows.

"No, no no! No thank you!" she refuted his implied invitation to stand as leader of the new clan. When his expression didn't change, she followed up sternly and with finality, "NO, Dyson!"

"You are their inspiration. They need a strong leader and they really don't have many other choices. And it only makes sense - you were the first of them, after all." He warmly informed her, smiling faintly as she finally showed some signs of seriously considering leading the clan. At least she hadn't cursed him and the fae politics before storming out. Progress.

"Dyson, being Unaligned means not bowing to any leader or following their ridiculous rules. So, if those fools want to choose a leader – fine. But it won't be me. What about you; you would make an excellent candidate: #1 former military, #2 former cop, #3 keeper of the neutral ground.."

"Oh, didn't he tell you love, he's already got a date for this dance." Vex, forgotten for the moment, had helped himself to a beer from Dyson's cooler and was watching leaned against the counter.

"Vex, not now…" Dyson hissed turning his head just enough to give the Mesmer an evil glimpse with one eye.

But his warning came too late, the Succubus sidled past him to face the Dark fae, "What is that supposed to mean?" she queried, arms crossed and head cocked to one side in curiosity.

" **Vex** – shouldn't you be kissing Evony's ring right now?" Dyson growled, as he turned slowly to face him over Bo's shoulder.

"Kissing her ass, more like!" Vex snorted, and continued in a mocking voice expressing his disdain for courtly protocol, "Curtseying before her throne, declaring my loyalty, kneeling and knighted as her second in command – yeah, yeah, already taken care of." He waved his half-empty beer bottle to and fro to animate the points he ticked off, the relief in his voice as he finished palpable. "Now that we know my political position, you might as well tell her Dyson, she's going to find out anyway."

"The Light fae elders have asked me to declare my candidacy for Ash." Dyson declared suddenly, begrudgingly thinking the Mesmer was right. He had tried to talk about these issues with Bo too many times and been dismissed. She looked at him in shock, jaw dropping when he added "…and I've accepted."

"Dyson no…all the work we did to ensure the fae didn't have to chose a side, running the Dal as a safe haven for them…"she was flabbergasted and tongue tied over this sudden revelation. "…Dyson, the Unaligned look to you for protection and leadership!"

This he could, and did, easily refute: "No Bo. They look to _you!_ Whether you accept it or not – people need and want law and order. And if you do not step up and lead those that follow you…someone else will."

"I can't believe you are doing this…no words…." she began, not sure of what to say.

"Well, then you might as well join the party!" Vex opened and handed her another beer, taking a drink of his own.

"And YOU! How can you tuck you tail and run back to Evony knowing how evil she is!" Bo turned her ire on the Mesmer now, Dyson's perceived betrayal on the back burner. The hand holding her bottle pointed a finger at him as the other rested firmly on her hip. Remembering now she had accepted the beer and needing a drink she tilted it back and drank heartily, angry but not yet irrationally so.

"Whut? Me? People change, you know. And what about YOU! There are some that question why a respectable business man like me associates with the lawless Succubus who nearly killed everyone in the world because Daddy asked her to! Maybe you should invest more of your time controlling your little Unaligned minions instead of encouraging them to rebel against authority! They are _**killing**_ people- Dark and Light! It's CHOAS out there! The Dark have tried going along with your little experiment in anarchy, and – spoiler alert - we'd rather have Evony back!"

"How…Dare…You!" she was seething now, face turning bright red in anger as she began to shake. Still in control enough not to lash out physically, she also struggled with what to say now that so much information had been dumped on her so quickly – it was a hard to choose what to address first.

"Vex, **shut up!** " Dyson inserted himself into the fray and focused her already overwhelmed thought processes on him. But before she could muster up some vitriol for him, he spoke to her, "Bo, the Unaligned aren't the only ones afraid. Everyone else is, too. They aren't just afraid of the lawless criminal element. They are afraid some of the Unaligned are using their powers indiscriminately and risking the exposure of the fae to humans. Did you know, in Las Vegas, Reno and on one major cruise line there are Unaligned fae with their own Magic Shows in permanent run? Declaring to their audiences that they were born with superpowers and inviting skeptics onstage to prove them wrong?"

Bo didn't know, "What? No, no one tells me these things happening outside the colony!" she felt a bit hurt that it wasn't brought to her attention.

Vex, still pouting with crossed arms about being silenced just when he had landed a major jab on the Succubus she couldn't deny spoke up, "Yeah, well, you were invited to the meetings. I guess you had better things to do." He rolled his eyes, but didn't escalate things further than he already had after the shifter shut him down.

Dyson ignored his further needling and continued, "They need a vision, they need regulation, they need a code of conduct, they need leadership and if they can't be reigned in from the inside – the rest of us will have to step in and bring them in line. The Dark and the Light have never been closer or more in agreement than on this issue." He walked over to join Vex by the counter, and grabbed another beer for himself as the pair of them waited for her answer for what they had told her.

They symbolic gesture of the two of them facing her together now wasn't lost on the Succubus. Bo's world seemed like it was collapsing down upon her. Her utopian Unaligned dream was crashing to the ground in a ball of flames faster than the Hindenburg. Oh the fae-namity, indeed. "I need to call Lauren, and I have to see Evony…" she muttered as her mind rebooted after a hard shutdown and defaulted back to her original concern this afternoon – Lauren's safety.

"Yes you do." Vex unexpectedly agreed.

"Excuse me?" she whirled on him, readily willing to re-engage in verbal combat with the Mesmer.

In answer, he pulled an engraved envelope from his black tailored suit and handed it to her. She took it in one hand as the other sought successfully without the aid of her eye's attention to set her beer on the counter. Once it had unburdened itself of her drink, she used it to open the mysterious message slowly.

Vex explained impatiently to hurry things along, "She sent you an invitation to meet with her, tomorrow. Well, you and Dagny. She wants to release you from your pledge to the Dark. Official and all, now that everyone is re-organizing."

"On one condition…" Bo read that bit aloud.

"You have to allow her to help Dagny with her Dawning." Vex finished for her.

Bo looked up from the expensively crafted invitation, "And just what does her twisted mind consider 'help,' pray tell second-in-command?" she demanded.

"I don't know! Look – No one is planning to move against Dr Hotpants! They all remember that you can kill them all, even at a distance, whenever it strikes your fancy! Like a Succubus Drone strike!" He gestured with pistol fingers and "pew, pew" noises to drive his point home. A little too well, apparently, if the Succubus's red face and shameful expression was evidence of its effect. Bo was embarrassed about the amount of power she wielded and demonstrated so effectively, and sometimes recklessly, in the past.

Dyson continued with more reason and less humor, "It's true; everyone knows you can kill anyone you wish at any time. Evony knows this. And we have all tried to help Dagny with her powers, but we just don't know that much about Valkyrie. Maybe she can help. People do change." He shrugged agreement with the Mesmer.

Vex chimed in again, more helpful this time, "And everyone has agreed that all clan members must re-enlist, or formally negotiate a release before they join another. That's a lot of people, and Evony moved you to the top of her list, number 1! You should be grateful…." He grinned a mischievous, knowing grin.

Somewhat mollified, Bo's only response was an eye roll so exaggerated it dragged her head to roll along for the ride, causing her two male companions to snicker a little. But the memory of Evony's old waiting room, threesome in the restroom, joking with Kenzi, and taking a number brought her own mirth out to join the conversation. "Well, at least I don't have to be number 69, along with everyone else…"

Dyson and Vex laughed along with her, immediately getting the reference. Evony decided who she would see and when, no matter the order they arrived or if they had an appointment. The useless number dispenser was her own sick way of letting people know that. It was a twisted joke, but funny nonetheless.

"Bo! Hey, BO!" the young Valkyrie shouted to cut through the laughter. She had somehow burst into the room unnoticed and struggled to get her sister's attention.

Once the Succubus ceased her giggling and looked into her green eyes, the joy sparkling in them nearly erasing the memory of the hurt she had seen in them earlier. Obviously the little mission with Mark had put her sister in a good mood, and her own brown eyes smiled with genuine goodwill in response. A gentle shove of something being thrust out to her made her break the contact and look down; her missing purse. "Oh, thank you Dagny! I was looking for that!" More good news. She set Evony's invitation on the counter and took the bag from her, rummaging for her phone as the rumpling of paper bags and grumbled sarcastic thanks directed at the blonde fae who had hadn't help bring in the food announced the arrival of Mark.

The slights of Mark's sarcastic quips and of being ignored by her only living relative while she deemed rummaged through her purse more important didn't even register with the young Valkyrie – she was just in too good of a mood and pressed hard to be heard, "Bo, I need to tell you something, something INCREDIBLE!" She grabbed her sister's forearms in an attempt to capture her attention.

But now that the brunette was brought back to the present, she wanted to call Lauren and then just head home to sort this whole mess out, "Dagny! Not now! I have to call Lauren." Focused on her purpose, she shrugged off her sister's imploring arms gently.

"Oh, something more important than your sister has come up. I understand. No big deal." She moped, without any real emotion behind her words. But, ever analytical her eyes were searching around the room for clues to what had transpired in her absence.

"Don't be such a drama queen, Dagny. The world doesn't revolve around you." The Succubus distractedly replied and continued digging in her purse, cursing how large it was and how much useless crap was in it.

"No, it revolves around you, Bo. And you revolve around Lauren." She muttered equally distracted in response, eyeing a paper on the counter next to Dyson.

"Damn it!" Bo exclaimed as she plopped her purse down on the counter next to Vex, in order to use both hands to remove the superfluous objects hiding her phone. "That's not fair, and you know that. What is it, anyways? If it's about…Aha, found it!"

The significance of the exchange wasn't lost on Vex or Dyson, as they shared a look before they both turned to Mark for answers as the sisters quibbled. Their eyes were already waiting for his as he placed the bags of food on the opposite counter and sorted out the individual orders. He turned to find the men staring at him. "Uh, food's here…?" Apparently, he was unaware of the sub context, and placed both hands in his front pockets and slumped his shoulders in a subconscious submissive gesture. An urgent yet subtle head gesture from Vex towards the blonde next to him whose attention was held by something on the counter prompted his realization, "oh…right…well Miss Rookie NASCAR Driver saw some hot blonde chica, and decided to see how many traffic laws she could break in one day chasing her down! The only points you get for that, by the way, are on your brand new license!"

"Oh ho ho no! You have got to be **kidding** me!" The Succubus, oblivious to what Mark had said, had discovered her now dead phone. "Dyson, let me-"

The young Valkyrie turned and finally got her sister's undivided attention, "Oh wow, look at this! The Morrigan wants to help me with my Dawning! How COOL is that!?"

"In the way that it is NOT cool at all!" Bo tossed her temporarily useless phone in her purse and turned on her, every negative thought and emotion refocused on an unsuspecting target of opportunity. "That is not happening! I will not let THAT woman get her hooks in you!" she snatched the invitation from the young fae and crumpled it up.

"But...,Evony knows a lot about Valkyrie – and my mother worked for her! They were close!" the youngster argued crest-fallen. Surely her sister would see the logic behind it.

"Yeah, right!" Bo rolled her eyes again, the venom in her words undisguised, "I don't know where you got that information – but it is seriously flawed! I would rather see ANYONE but Evony tutor you before your Dawning!" she crossed her arms, expression indicating the topic was no longer open for discussion.

"ANYONE, huh…OK. Fair enough. When I track down that Valkyrie I saw today, I bet she will help me!"

"Valkyrie?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** No copyright infringement intended under the provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act or any other law.

 **Clarification:** By "Canon as I can make it" in the description, I mean to follow the accepted canon. Sometimes I do forget something, and those mistakes are unintended. I want to explain where canon contradicted itself in the show, and explore dropped story arcs and plot devices that were represented as important, and then abandoned by the writers. Just trying to make sense of it all, and have a little fun and adventure along the way.

 **MINOR SPOILER ALERT:************************************************************************************************

 _I don't usually do this but, since I was asked, HERE YOU GO: No, not a Tam/Bo or Valkubus story, if you will. She's not coming back from the dead to get the girl, vengeance, or her happy ending. Sorry if you ship that, but she isn't in the character description as she isn't alive in any sense we recognize, and no, Dagny isn't Tamsin reincarnated. I do love all the characters and we'll hear more about Tamsin and other Valkyrie later as well as more about the 'rising.' Along with Evony, the ancients, Trick, Jack, Rainer, Kenzi, et. al. Now I've said too much. Canon as I can make it. You'll see if you stick around. Pack some snacks, if you do. It'll be a long trip_.

Dawning of a Valkyrie

Chapter Five: The Young Diva Makes Her Entrance

 _ **Earlier that afternoon…**_

"Yeah, right!" Bo rolled her eyes again, the venom in her words undisguised, "I don't know where you got that information – but it is seriously flawed! I would rather see ANYONE but Evony tutor you before your Dawning!" she crossed her arms, expression indicating the topic was no longer open for discussion.

"ANYONE, huh…OK. Fair enough. When I track down that Valkyrie I saw today, I'll ask her!" her sister was nonplussed.

"A Valkyrie….?"

 _ **Right now…**_

"A Valkyrie!" Lauren echoed, but with alarm instead of surprise. Although it was understandable that Dagny might be overjoyed to see one of her own kind, the rest of the family knew Tamsin's 'sisters' could be powerful and dangerous adversaries who always seemed to have their own agenda. They were rarely seen on earth, and oh so secretive. The doctor had long since dressed and was lying on one side, head propped up by one arm bent at the elbow. She was engrossed in the details of the story, and once again concerned by the revelations. She pulled a strand of hair from her eyes with her free hand and asked, "Bo, who was it that she saw?"

Bo was lying in a mirror image of her wife's posture facing her and equally eager to relate this information and solicit Lauren's opinion. The story had overtaken the importance of their journey, but not for long. Two could play Lauren's game, and Bo had the advantage of knowing the outcome, "Well, I don't know WHO it was – or even if she really DID see a Valkyrie. It all got so confusing…we asked Mark, but…"

 _ **Earlier that afternoon…**_

"A Valkyrie….? That girl in the beat up war wagon at the light? Singing off-key to "That's Not My Name?" Mark couldn't help an incredulous laugh at that ridiculous assertion. Just in case that wasn't enough to proclaim his disbelief, he added, "Ahhh…I don't see it. Stop playing, Dagny. The Dawning is no joke; you should listen to your sister." Mark had used the argument between the two sisters to give Vex a brief hug and peck on the cheek, but felt compelled to insert himself into the conversation. He immediately regretted it.

"So you saw this woman?!" Bo began her questions with the young shifter. She wasn't there, but not as ready to easily dismiss her sister's assertion as a joke or misidentification. "Go on…tell us about her. Try to remember every detail, no matter how unimportant: what she looked like, acted like, what she wore…take your time."

"Nice one, Bo." She turned her head to the young blonde, who hadn't moved. "I see what you're doing here. Ignoring me, then dismissing what I have to say. Telling a detective how to give eyewitness testimony. He's only seen ONE Valkyrie. Don't bother listening to the one person who would know." She rolled her eyes and marched out of the room, arms still crossed.

Bo ignored her sister's tantrum and turned back to the young panther, "Go on." The appearance of a Valkyrie could have dangerous consequences for them, and the whole colony. And talking to Dagny while she was all riled up would surely devolve into an argument that gave them no actionable intelligence.

"Don't you think you should go after her?" Dyson asked gently.

The Succubus cringed visibly, staring at the doorway the Valkyrie had left through, "No Dyson, when she gets like this…she doesn't like being followed and won't be reasoned with; she won't even allow me to just give her a hug and apologize. And I always tried, even if I wasn't in the wrong."

The wolf leaned against the counter and stroked his beard thoughtfully, "I can believe that…so, what's the plan?"

Bo threw her hands up as she turned around to face the group again, "I don't know, give her her sp - "

"Can we eat ALREADY! Grace! There, it's been said! Amen, let's eat!" Vex's frustrated interruption stopped Bo from affirming Dyson's earlier advice. But the Ash Apparent knew, and when his eyes darted to inform hers; she knew that he knew. The brunette groaned faintly as Mark was the one to address the Mesmer's rudeness, even though she was grateful for it.

"Calm down, Vexie! We can eat!" Mark handed his boyfriend his food. "You'll just have to excuse me if I talk with my mouth full, but Bo thinks there might be something to this. And we can discuss later if you got behind the wheel after you tied one on with Evony!" His words and stern look reminded them all he was still a cop. He handed out the rest of the burgers and fries explaining, "Sorry about the drinks, they were casualties of the trip. So, we got the food – AND drinks at Bronco Burger, the one not far from the Dal…"

 _ **Mark's Story (Story within a story within a story…let's roll with it.)**_

"Mine BETTER be medium rare! I don't trust those clowns at Bronco Burger. They gave me a chicken sandwich last time! And why didn't we go through the drive thru? It would have saved time and I want to see what Dyson has for me!" Dagny raved as she climbed into the driver's seat of her truck and slammed the door.

"Yeaaahhh, and I TOLD you last time not to go through the drive thru. That's why your order was messed up. Don't you know what they say about the drive thru? It's true!" Mark laughed as he situated the food before buckling his seatbelt.

As she started her newer model extended cab truck, she turned to him "No, I don't know what _they_ say." The annoying chiming coming from the dash reminded her to buckle her own seatbelt, which she did while cursing under her breath.

Mark was laughing in earnest now, "They f-…." He paused, and the hesitation earned her undivided attention, "I mean, uh hum, they screw up your orders." She stared at him blankly, "It was from an old movie…Dyson made me watch it…nevermind. Seemed funny at the time." Dropping F bombs in the presence of the impressionable Valkyrie was forbidden; Bo didn't want her sister to inherit the colorful vocabulary of her late mother by proxy. The irony that Dagny, herself had just used every forbidden curse word quite effectively wasn't lost on him. _No way am I taking the blame for her vulgar language._ "Let's go!"

She pulled carefully into traffic and headed towards Dyson's apartment. Mark was ever watchful of her driving habits, and she felt sure he was giving reports back to Bo and Dyson. And he was. Everything went smoothly, turn signals used, hands at ten and two – until they reached a stop light that was just turning red. Dagny pulled carefully up to the stop line, turning and grinning at her passenger to show that she was proud to a capable driver despite being only 10 years old.

Mark sensed he was being looked at and turned this head to her, "If that is your way of fishing for a compliment, you got one: Good job, little girl. You deserve a sticker!" Her expression turned concerned as he returned her grin, and mistakenly thinking her change in demeanor was because of his snark, he explained as he leaned forward, "Sorry, I didn't me-"

She shoved him violently back against his seat with her right arm as she in turn leaned towards the passenger side window. Dagny's eyebrows furrowed as she stared at the young woman who had pulled up next to them in the right turn lane. The music blaring from her speakers could be heard plainly in their vehicle, and she was singing along animatedly waiting for the light to change. "Who…is…SHE?!" the Valkyrie quietly intoned, apparently to herself.

"What…?" the shifter followed her stare to find out what had elicited such a strong reaction in his companion. The girl next to them was pleasing to look at, no doubt about that, but that was the end of her appeal as far as the shifter was concerned. Her blonde hair was cropped close to the sides of her head, a bit longer on the top and somewhat masculine, but incongruous with her attitude, clothes, makeup, music, if not her vehicle choice. Cute rather than drop dead gorgeous, seemingly immature, the impression that she was the catalyst for major drama was practically evident for anyone who had encountered that type of personality. She was obviously a waitress given her cheap tan polyester uniform-like dress; she seemed the type of vacuous person that was far too annoying to take home for even just a one night stand. _And I doubt Dagny would even get to the part where she bought a drink for her, that girl certainly doesn't like people insulting her intelligence._

She was driving a beat up old topless 4X4 common to the area's redneck population, yet singing a years old bubble gum pop tune at the top of her lungs, "I'm the LAST chick standing up against the wall…"

Mark voiced his incredulity, not noticing his driver had rolled the passenger window down. He rolled his eyes back to Dagny's, "What? Her?" Turning back to young woman he continued, "Please tell me you are in no way interested in her – SHIT!" He grabbed the 'Oh Shit' handle on the truck's interior roof and held on for dear life as the Valkyrie made an illegal right turn from the right hand forward lane against the red light. The blonde next to them had turned and saw Dagny – and the look Mark witnessed was one of sheer panic as she threw her rust bucket in gear and had turned onto the side road against the light without even looking. The young Valkyrie had followed her lead, and the chase was on.

Dagny's new truck narrowly was nearly rear-ended by a vehicle in the intersection, whose driver thankfully hit his brakes in time, before careening dangerously close to oncoming traffic as it made the right turn successfully, venturing across the yellow line trying to avoid a sports car that had already went through the intersection right behind the truck they were chasing. The Mustang had only narrowly missed hitting the topless truck before slamming on the brakes behind the 4X4. Apparently, the mysterious blonde had made her turn without waiting for the intersection to clear, either.

Dagny cursed her luck, but the wider than intended turn allowed her to slow enough to stop safely in the right lane behind the red Mustang as its brake lights dimmed and the driver hit the gas and horn simultaneously. The Valkyrie laid on her horn as well; the busy side street had only one lane in each direction and now she had another car between her and her target. "Damn it!" she slammed a fist on the dashboard in frustration, "She saw me! She KNOWS!"

Mark's heart was pounding, and although he was curious about her declaration – he was more concerned with talking the out-of-control young fae back from the ledge. "Uh, Dagny. Please calm down. I don't want to die today. I don't think she's interested! There will be other girls. Or boys. Plenty of fish in the sea!" the knuckles of his hands grasping the handle where white as adrenaline pushed his blood pressure ever higher.

"Ha ha ha! Checkmate!" Dagny chuckled evilly as soon as she pushed the accelerator again, ignoring her rational passenger and commenting on the yellow light up a head. There was no way the old truck of her prey could make it through the light before it changed. And she didn't – she ran the red light, blatantly, narrowly avoiding getting hit again. But Mr. Red Mustang wasn't going to follow suit. He dutifully stopped at the light, effectively blocking the Valkyrie's truck since there were no turn lanes on this road. Dagny strained her neck trying to look over the traffic ahead to see where the battered truck disappeared to, but no avail. The cross road was a major three lane one, and the traffic light allotted them far more time on green than the side road she was currently on. The mystery woman was gone, whoever she was.

The young driver was crestfallen, and simply turned on her left turn signal to get back on her original course. "Sorry about that." She mumbled in apology. "I thought….never mind." Try as she might, the young blonde couldn't bring herself to explain what happened to her friend. She needed time to process what she felt; why she did what she did, and what to do next. Dagny was nothing if not analytical, and her recent impulsive actions were out of character. They would be impossible to explain if she couldn't even work why she did it even to herself.

"What were you THINKING, Dagny? That you could meet her and get her number when you were on trial for vehicular homicide and she was a material witness for the prosecution? Hmmm!" the shifter asked with cold sarcasm, trying to gather up the drinks that had were spilling out of their lids on the floorboards. "You can't just assume a person YOU are interested in is equally interested in _you_." He scolded.

"No…I…I don't…I didn't think she would…sorry." She gave up trying to explain something she couldn't put words to, because there were none. She didn't want to do what she did, she felt _compelled_ to do it. She felt a strong connection to the stranger, and assumed it must be something related to being a Valkyrie, but not sure how or why she felt that way. Contrition was her only option at this time, and she **was** sorry.

Mark grinned, wiping the sugary drinks off his hands with wet wipes kept conveniently in the glove box, "Look, just stick to the rules of the road. And, a word of advice - straight girls are shy like deer; you can't come on to them so aggressively or they will bolt off into the forest, never to be seen again. Trust me, I **am** speaking from experience." He concluded with a wink.

She laughed, and it was on the tip of her tongue to tell him this wasn't about love or getting laid but said nothing. He watched her carefully as the light changed and they were moving again; she seemed deep in thought and wanting to say something, but kept her words to herself and her attention on the road.

 _ **End of Mark's Story…**_

"She never mentioned anything about Valkyrie; it kind of threw me when she said that just now." Mark concluded, stuffing fries in his mouth.

Dyson laughed, "Oh son, I've been on a wild ride with a Valkyrie, too! Not the best drivers!" He offered a fist bump to his son, who returned it with a grin.

Bo mulled over the information he gave her, looking for familiar elements. "Tamsin had a truck like that…"

"No Bo, her truck was a dark 80's model Chevy extended cab that is now a pile of twisted metal!" Dyson contradicted.

"No, no – not that one!" the Succubus shook her head. "She got another one after her re-birth and she moved out of the clubhouse…an old topless 70's model, a Blazer?...or a Ram Charger? I don't know trucks, and I only saw it once. And I don't think you ever saw it…"

"Uh, look - I don't know what Tamsin drove or when – but I can tell you that woman was definitely NOT Tamsin, she didn't look like her, and she damn sure didn't **act** like her. I got a good look at her, and she saw me, too. Even Tamsin would say 'hi.' And she sure as hell would have made herself known to you, Bo."

"Hmmm, I agree." Dyson said quietly. The Succubus turned to look at him, "She's gone, Bo. And she made it clear she is not coming back this time. But some other Valkyrie is roaming the colony, not wanting to be discovered. And that could be a problem."

The brunette was so struck by how much Dyson thought and reasoned like Trick that she didn't say anything as they shared a concerned gaze. When he dipped his head to intensify his gaze, she realized he mistook her amazement for disagreement. She went on to put herself firmly in the consensus, "Yes, you're right, of course. It's not that I think Tamsin is back, it's…just something about that truck bothers me…"

"Sounds a bit like Stacey to me." Dyson helped, "And if that WAS Tamsin's truck – maybe she gave it to her?"

"No, no – Stacey went to Tartarus with Freya after Tamsin found out the Mistress of Valhalla was helping Hades. When she told me about it, I got the impression she always kind of suspected Freya was up to no good. I know she never trusted her, not like she did Acacia. And Stacy is Freya's lapdog, that much I KNOW, I saw it for myself."

"And now Acacia runs Valhalla." He searched through the ice in the cooler unsuccessfully for another beer, and shot an accusing glance at Vex, who gave him an innocent look and shrug in return. Sighing, he wiped his wet hands on his pants, "Well, this could mean any number of things. Maybe they are just keeping a watchful eye on one of their own, or…"

"…or it could mean they are coming to bring back one of their own, to use for their own purposes." Bo concluded his thought and was rewarded with a grim nod of confirmation.

"Very well done, detectives, but you are both working on the ASSUMPTION that the woman in question was ACTUALLY a Valkyrie!" Vex slow clapped in mock appreciation of their analytical skills. Mark slapped him on the shoulder, telling him without words to make his contribution relevant if he was going to join the speculation "Listen, your sister was angry with you, and she **might** just have said whatever she thought would get your attention. She never said anything to Mark about the bird they saw being one of her own kind. Hmmmm!" he concluded with raised eyebrows, proud to bring them back to determining the validity of the evidence before trying to act upon it.

"Yes, but if she wanted my attention – why did she storm off?" Bo questioned with equal reasoning.

"AHA!" Vex countered, half-drunk and giddy by the fact that he had a valid point. "But you _weren't_ paying attention to her, you asked Mark!" Bo opened her mouth to defend herself, but the Mesmer did it for her, raising one hand in reassurance "I know you wanted impartial testimony, no worries – I don't blame you. But sometimes it's satisfying to toss a verbal grenade and walk out of the room, ya know!"

"Mike drop!" Mark agreed with a grin.

 _ **Right now…**_

"Valkyrie are so sensitive about their hair, and Stacy was especially sensitive about it. That's how Tamsin doubted her out of killing me and ended up with her banishment. I can't imagine her shaving it off and driving around in public…" Lauren mused, caught up in the story.

"Lauren, you don't have to give evidence for the prosecution." Bo said flatly, slightly annoyed. However, she quickly shrugged it off, "But good point – I wasn't there when that went down. Anyways, - "

 _ **Earlier that afternoon…**_

Bo turned to Dyson, who shrugged his head to one side in collusion with the doubters. "Right, I'll go talk to her…or try to…" she left slowly, trying to think of a way to get through to the hard headed young blonde.

Just then the Mesmer's phone began ringing; or rather playing Beck's 'Loser' song he had chosen as a ringtone for this particular caller. "Right, that's sorted, and I have to take this!" He answered his call as the others finished eating, "Talk to me…what?...why…. what do you mean 'something came up?'…I'm a BUSINESS man…are we still…right…OK…ta."

Bo walked back into the room as the phone conversation concluded. "Welp, she took off without me. Probably running to Lauren to complain about what a horrible sister I am." She slapped her hands on her thighs. "Can I bother anyone for a ride home?"

Mark offered, "Yeah, I can give you a ride after Vex meets with his business associate. I thought he supposed to be here by now…"

Vex corrected him, "No, we can leave now. That was him on the phone. He has cancelled this evening's meeting. Funny how the little bastard kept hounding me about it, and then re-schedules just when we are about to move on this. I couldn't get rid of the irritating little…"

"That's what you get for going into business with a guy named 'Ball Sack!'" Mark laughed, gathering his keys as he finished the rest of his hurried dinner.

"BOLL Sack!" Vex corrected.

"Whatever!" Mark gave up, "I still lo-"

" **Balzac**!" Bo stated in a daze of sudden clarity. The thing that bothered her about the name had been busy running a background application in her mind while her conscious thoughts were otherwise occupied, and demanded her full attention as if a pop-up window declared it was finished running its algorithms. Balzac – the fae that had tricked her into the invitation to her own Dawning while she was having lunch with Tamsin.

"That's whut I said, BOLL Sack. See love, Bo understands me!" Vex started a light-hearted dispute with his lover by shoving his shoulder, but the Succubus was not in a mood to watch the show.

"We have to go. **NOW**!" the Succubus announced, gathering her own things.

 _ **Right now…**_

"So we piled into Mark's car and they drove me home." Bo concluded. Both of them had not moved while she related this part of the story.

"Balzac, huh. So her Dawning could be closer than we thought. And that's it?" Lauren asked reaching out to grasp her wife's free hand, caressing the top of it gently with her thumb. She hadn't forgotten her promise.

"Yes…Wait, no – when we were about to drive off, Dyson came out and gave us the box of Tamsin's things to give her. I told him that it better not contain the gun; Dagny just might shoot me with it in the mood she was in." She rolled her eyes and Lauren gave her a tight lipped disapproving expression. "I know, I know - it was a JOKE! Dyson didn't find it funny, either, but he wanted to stay and clean up some more. I asked Mark to tell me everything that was said when they were alone together, and what he thought about it during the drive. Then I came home."

"Alright." She ran her hand slowly up the Succubus's arm to her shoulder, pushing her down gently and moving to lay on top of her, "Then I guess we can bring this little trip to an end!" she cooed.

"No." Bo surprised her with her unemotional refusal. Dr. Lewis leaned back a bit in shock.

"No!?" her eyes were wide in disbelief, staring as she was into glowing blue ones boring into her own.

"It's not over. You haven't told me what happened before I got home. And …" quick as a rattlesnake, Bo reversed their positions as she had planned so carefully "…it has become oblivious to me that you are getting tired…" she began kissing the doctor on her lovely neck as soon as she brushed the impeding blonde hair away from her target. "…you should pull over…" she murmured against her wife's skin, then paused to nip and suck gently. "…and let me drive for a while." To bring home the point, she pushed some charms along her collarbone with a single finger – not too strongly, but enough to elicit a moan of agreement in response.

"Yes…oh gods YES." When she failed to say anything else, the Succubus stopped doing what she did so well. To encourage her, Lauren made a grab for her right hand, and the brunette's reaction was to effectively pin both of the doctor's hands to the bed above her head. "BO! You…ahhwww, nooo…!" The realization that the treatment she had so effectively used on her wife was now being used against her made her feel frustrated – in every way possible. The Succubus grinned down at her patiently waiting for her own story.

Dr. Lewis didn't hesitate to relate what happened between her and Dagny merely out of sexual distraction, she and the young fae shared a confidence much like she had with Tamsin, - her mother. And although she had never broken her promise to Bo, she felt it was healthy for the girl to have a non-judgmental sounding board to vent her frustrations and seek advice. But this situation was more important than a conflict of personalities between two of the most stubborn sisters she had ever met.

"Fine! You win! You WIN, Bo!" Lauren huffed out in frustration, immediately rewarded with a deep kiss the Succubus moaned into in triumph, pulling away slowly teeth gently holding on to the blonde's lower lip for a brief second after it ended.

She smiled cunningly as she leaned down and whispered to her still captive wife, "Go on then! And I will, too…" she ran a foot up her lover's leg, and when it stopped its upward movement began pushing Lauren's leg outward.

The doctor's breath hitched as she struggled to play along, "Yes well, she came home, and from her behavior, I would have never guessed anything unusual happened. She greeted me, asked if I had eaten; I told her I had. She started…mmm… to go upstairs, then stopped and asked me an out of the blue question…"


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks for reading and reviewing – I know this isn't the most popular type of LG story, but it's what I would write if tasked with scripting season 6, staying true to established canon. Chapter 7 will be up soon, because going back to edit this one I realized I had to spilt it up due to its length and adjust the future already written ones accordingly. Getting to some action soon. And no copyright infringement intended.**

Dawning of a Valkyrie

Chapter 6: Dagny's Soliloquy

 _ **Right now…**_

Lauren caved in to Bo, and related her brief encounter with Dagny after she had left Dyson's apartment, "Yes well, she came home, and from her behavior, I would have never guessed anything unusual happened. She greeted me politely, asked if I had eaten; I told her I had. She bid me goodnight, and started…mmm… to go upstairs, then stopped and asked me an out of the blue question…"

 _ **Earlier that afternoon…**_

"Auntie…" Dagny called out tentatively, left foot firmly on the first step. Technically, Lauren was her sister-in-law, but she fit the role of a favorite aunt. Her own sister was acting pro tem as her mother, so what why not? Kenzi referred to Bo's extended family as her aunts, uncles and cousins depending on their age differences when she was very young. And so once she got to know them, it seemed natural to refer to them thusly.

"Hhhmmm?" Dr. Lewis answered, her attention still mainly focused on applying chaos theory in the algorithms in her DNA modeling simulations.

"Sorry, I know you are busy." She walked up slowly to stand next to Lauren, "But can you answer just one quick question for me?"

The doctor stopped and gave her 'niece' her full attention. Something about the way she asked it signaled it was important to her. "Yes, what is it?" She took off her reading glasses and brushed a lock of hair that had presumed to replace them in front of her eyes in the effort.

"I know Bo doesn't want you to tell me where the entrance to Valhalla is, but can you tell me again what happened when you went through the gates?" her eyes downcast, she idly played with a pen on the desk as she related her request.

Lauren was growing suspicious with the attitude and line of questioning of the Valkyrie. But her voice didn't betray her thoughts as she assured the girl, "I've already told you everything I know, hon. There really isn't much to tell – Bo, and especially Kenzi, spent much more time there. They are really the people to ask about it."

"No, it's not about what Valhalla is like." The taller blonde slipped into a chair next to her, "I mean, what exactly happened when you went through the gates? When the Valkyrie took over your body?"

Dr. Lewis looked curiously at the young Valkyrie, so inquisitive and critical in her thinking. Always looking for clues hidden in details others would dismiss as irrelevant. _She could be a great research scientist. Or criminal master mind. Or devolve into the most dangerous underfae ever known…_ "OK, I'll walk you through the details. Massimo the Druid said the hair of a young Valkyrie was the key to opening things. Valkyrie near death shed their hair signaling the end of their life and waning of their powers, and so it is useless. I deduced that we could therefore use a lock of your mother's hair Massimo took from her after her re-birth to open the portal to Valhalla by saying the proper chant, found in her journal, at the place we knew was the portal."

"…And you knew where that was because Dyson found her there after Tamsin took Kenzi to Valhalla, when she died closing the cinvat." The young fae continued for her, to put her confidant at ease that her intention wasn't to trick her into revealing anything she felt resistant to tell her.

Her assurance did the trick as Lauren easily replied, "Yes. I said the words, holding her hair, the gates opened, and we went through. It looked just as your mother drew it in her journal. She really was a talented artist! But even though the hair fooled the gate, it didn't fool the Valkyrie. I felt a strange presence in my mind, and it took me over. I don't know if it made me drop the lock of hair, or if I it happened because I kind of blacked out for a second. Either way, we had to leave and rescue Kenzi."

She had been raptly listening with her chin resting on both palms, much like a child listening to a favorite bedtime story. "I see. So, it seems that Valkyrie have some kind of limited physic ability - which is obvious because they have the powers of doubt - their hair is used for opening portals to other planes of existence not accessible to others, they can recognize fellow Valkyrie from humans or other fae, and they can sprout wings and fly on their last life. But there are no other instances of Valkyrie possessing people outside of your case that you know of?"

"No, and I hypothesize THAT was possible only because I was in their realm. I know of no other instance when a Valkyrie exhibited that power on earth. And I feel confident in that assumption because there have been cases where if Tamsin had that power, I think she would have used it. And I feel certain Stacey would have used it, if she had it. As far as their other powers, you have it right, as far as any of us know. But it's highly likely Valkyrie have more powers than we have witnessed, and I believe _you_ have powers beyond any of them." She concluded with a warm smile. Lauren felt it was good to discuss the young fae's powers with her, especially when it seemed so evident her Dawning was fast approaching.

"Thanks, Auntie Lo! I'll let you get back to work. 'Night!" she said brightly as she jumped up from her chair. She had the confirmation she needed.

"Wait!" Lauren surprised her with a revelation she had not heard before; one that had only occurred to the doctor just now. When the girl turned back to her she added, "I _think_ they may have some sort of limited telepathy. I mean, I haven't _seen_ it for myself, but Bo said Stacey seemed to be in contact with another Valkyrie telepathically when she was in Valhalla." Dagny took a step closer, intensely interested in everything she had to say, "I don't know if that is possible only in Valhalla, or if they can be in touch with each other wherever they are. But I **do** know Tamsin seemed to be able to find Acacia and Stacey when she wanted to, and vice versa."

Dagny smirked, "That is good to know!" and turned once again to go upstairs.

"Dagny…did you have another 'incident?'" Lauren called out, now concerned. 'Incident' was code for unintentional exhibitions of her Valkyrie powers, doubt being the only one she seemed to have demonstrated so far. The strange line of questioning made Lauren suspicious, and just as worried as Bo was that she may accidently hurt someone.

She remained facing away as she answered this time, voice calm "No, I've gotten really good at stopping myself from using my power of doubt. It's…I just …feel things sometimes I don't understand." She couldn't bring herself to tell Lauren the whole truth, but she felt it would be a betrayal to lie to her outright.

"Do you want to talk about it?" the doctor ventured gently.

The young Valkyrie began walking away, "Oh, no. It's OK. I already talked with Bo about it. She doesn't think there's anything to it. And she knew about my mother and what she was capable of better than anyone."

"OK…" the blonde doctor answered hesitantly to her as she reached the top of the stairs. If Bo had already discussed whatever happened with her, and Dagny wouldn't open up about it – there was no point in pursuing the issue. _I'm pretty sure she wants to talk with me about this, and is only denying it because she thinks that her sister might get angry at me over it. Bo does take Tamsin's request that she be the one to look after the girl too far sometime. And I am probably the one who knew Tamsin better than anyone on earth_.

Before she put her glasses back on and focused on her work, she stared for a long moment at the top of the stairs. When the faint and mellow music from the Valkyrie's closed door reached her, she thought the matter just might not be that important an issue, after all. The song playing was 'Jessica,' which the doctor knew as the theme song to the British show 'Top Gear.' Dagny and Mark enjoyed watching it together at the apartment. At least there wasn't a door slam and excruciatingly loud death metal blaring.

 _ **Right now…**_

"…and then you came home." She paused while she breathed heavily for a few seconds; Bo was trailing light kisses across her collar bone, and her hands had released her Lauren's from their captivity and were now purposefully adventuring down the body under her. "The End." Lauren concluded and then her arms took advantage of their freedom and grabbed her lovers head with both hands, bringing their lips forcefully together in a passionate kiss neither resisted.

"But I still haven't told you what happened upstairs after I came home!" Bo panted after they stopped to catch their breath, but received only a groan of frustration and a look of lustful disappointment as her wife's hand traveled down her sides, stopping on at her hips to pull her lover more firmly against her. Bo complied with the silent request and resumed their kiss, more gently this time though. Breaking their lip's contact, she once again began moving down Lauren's body, plotting her progress with her tongue and teeth.

"Ohh, ah…can't it wait… _yes…_ no need to hurry!" Lauren surrendered, knowing she couldn't beat a Succubus at her own game – yet proud that she had held her own for so long. She let her hands coast over her wife's back as her lover moved slowly down her body. When they contacted Bo's long dark hair, she curled her fingers gently into fistfuls of those luscious locks.

Once again, Bo exerted her control of the situation as she paused her efforts, fingertips barely under the waistband of Lauren's lace panties, "But, go on - the trip isn't over yet…"

"…we…maybe we should pull into a rest stop…and enjoy the local points of interest…important part of a good journey!" the blonde panted out.

"YES it is…" the Succubus agreed and looked up at her , grinning knowingly, blue eyes glowing so bright in the dim room they cast a faint reflection off the sweat glistened body of her lover, "…and I love revisiting my favorite roadside attractions…again…and again…"

 _ **Earlier that evening… & Dagny - present and past. (Sorry, about that - rated 'T' folks…)**_

After her conversation with Lauren, Dagny went into her room and turned on her stereo. Out of respect for Lauren, she kept the volume low when she played an old Allman Brothers compilation CD. Current mood – pensive. Her taste in music ran the gamut of all genres, and across the centuries. Everything was interesting to a young Valkyrie who was expected to live for ages; and Lauren had happy to sate her insatiable desire for knowledge about history, philosophy, science, and psychology with books and intellectual conversations. The young fae surmised that the shared interests that drew her closer to Lauren than her own sister made Bo slightly jealous of their relationship, subconsciously. _Jeez, sometimes she acts like I'm trying to steal her wife and friends! Even if I was, what the hell kind of chance does she think I have competing with a Succubus and the most powerful fae since the ancients! Can't I have SOMETHING of my own! I just want people to like me for_ _ **me,**_ _not because I am the sister of their Queen!_

It was the human Dr. Lewis, not her own sister; she looked to for knowledge, advice and inspiration. Dyson, despite the fact that she called him 'uncle,' was more of a father figure to her, diffusing disputes with a calm demeanor and ever sage advice. Mark was a fellow confederate in her eyes; his own struggle against his authoritative father in the past made her respect his insights. Vex was another story altogether; he was the impish relative who didn't involve himself in her interpersonal struggles and merely laughed at it all the participants, and that fact made him fun to be around. Evony she had met briefly a few times, but when Bo or Lauren went to meet with her Dagny was shepparded off quickly to the stables for riding lessons with Lou Ann who refused to talk with her about anything but her horsemanship. It seemed odd to the young Valkyrie, but she didn't question it. She loved horses, and had an innate understanding when it came to handling them. As for Bo, although the sisters both tried hard to work on their rapport in their own way, it became evident that the most predominant thing the siblings had in common was that they were sired by the most evil entity ever known.

She sought out her photo album Kenzi put together for her, and opened it. Her first human foster mother had told her much, much more than she had let the others know. About how she herself was a lost girl, how she grew up, ran away, found Bo, raised Tamsin after her re-birth. All the joys and sorrows her adopted fae family experienced were told to her in a way only Kenzi could. Including the mysterious circumstances of her birth, as best her foster mother could relate from what she pieced together from the rest of the family. They didn't discuss it much, Jack and how to keep him away from his precious second daughter was paramount in their discussions after Tamsin died.

Dagny knew her mother loved Bo, Bo was in love with Lauren, and somehow her father used that to manipulate Tamsin and impregnate the Valkyrie. But Kenzi didn't know the details, and couldn't handle an adolescent Valkyrie coming into her powers for the very first time in her very first life. Tamsin had asked Bo to raise her daughter, but the Succubus and everyone else feared her father would seek her out so sent her to live with humans. Once it seemed safe that Jack was not coming back anytime soon, and for other reasons, Kenzi had sent the young Valkyrie back to Bo with one of Hale's trusted cousins.

But Dagny felt resentful over being sent to live with people she had only brief conversations with over the phone. Whenever family called, they wanted to spend most of their time talking to Kenzi. She wasn't ready to meet these strangers just yet, and wanted to explore the world now that she was free to roam. It was all too easy to ditch Hale's idiot cousin Alex at the airport, after deftly lifting his wallet. Kenzi's mission in raising her wasn't merely to hide her and keep her safe, but to educate her and teach her the skills of a shadow thief she might need in the future. She had an entire day of freedom for the first time in her five short years.

Another first- Dagny met someone on her own, who liked her and was very interested in her without knowing her infamous origins or extended family. It was equally exhilarating and frightening when the young blonde human parked her car while she was ostentatiously driving them to a club, and initiated their first kiss which quickly progressed into heavy petting. She had hesitated, her feelings were conflicted and confused, but her partner's promise that she wouldn't do anything she didn't want to encouraged her to continue. Mark, working under Bo's orders and dressed in his police uniform, interrupted and effectively put an end to want was going to be her first sexual experience. It was then she realized they could track her by her phone.

Looking over the precious photos of her own all too brief childhood she wished she could be that carefree kid again, and enjoy life like everyone else. Grow into adulthood and experience a life less extraordinary. Like 'normal' people with 'normal' problems, going to work, hopefully not hating her job and struggling to establish herself , trying to be happy and be accepted for who and what she really was. She longed to have her own friends separate from those she knew from her relationship with her family.

But she was the daughter of Tamsin, sister of the Dark Queen, second daughter of Hades and his second chance at conquest – and that is how they the fae saw her. Everyone around her was concerned with preparing her for her destiny, an advantage her sister didn't have growing up. "But at least Bo had a life of her own. I am born, I serve, I die, and am born again. And again and again…" she whispered aloud to the happy images of her and Kenzi at the Mediterranean beach at Salou, Spain. She couldn't resist giggling at the memory, though, despite her morose mood. The joyful instrumental tune helped her focus on happy times. She was in trouble that day for skinning herself out of her numerous floatation devices, and swimsuit, and charging naked into the rising surf. It was then they learned she had an inherited natural ability to swim, and swim stronger than her small body should have been able to.

She was only 3 at the time of the swimming incident, but her body resembled that of a 10 year old human. And although her foster mother was upset at her for scaring her, they reconciled quickly. Kenzi knew her growth was abnormally fast in overnight spurts, but not as fast as her mother had after her last rebirth. The Russian had anticipated this and always had larger clothes on hand, insisting the Valkyrie slept in over-sized clothes just in case. It seemed a logical assumption that she grew slightly slower than her mother because she had only begun her first life. And following that logic, it was safe to assume Dagny wouldn't gain her powers as quickly as her mother.

Her early life had been one globe-trotting joyride, wandering from one city to another with Kenzi as the human lived her dream of becoming a fashion designer, but always returning to their home in Spain. The human had worked hard, and was living the life she dreamed of all those years ago before she ran away from home and ended up with Bo. The former goth was always a follower of fashion, and now she was the leader – the trendsetter and innovator. "With a snap of my fingers, I can raise skirt lengths so high the world is your gynecologist!" she used to joke to her friends and family in homage to one of her favorite shows. Dagny loved her charm and lust for life, reveling in their camaraderie. She missed her acting mother while she was at the office, and looked forward to their long talks in the evenings after dinner.

Kenzi always made sure she made time for her young charge and told her all she knew of her mother, her sister, the world, the fae, and gave her a solid moral compass. She also arranged for tutors, both fae and human, to educate the young blonde so that she could navigate both worlds without bringing attention to her unusual situation of growing quickly without acquiring the knowledge someone of the age she appeared to be should have. And Dagny was a quick and diligent student, her lust for knowledge and eagerness to excel in her studies surprising her human mother. The scores of human tutors believed her to be a genius, and the fae reported that she was exceptionally intelligent. Of course, none of them knew she was actually a Valkyrie and grew very quickly, in every way. Once an overnight growth spurt occurred, they were politely dismissed by one of Kenzi's employees, with the excuse that their student had left to stay with other relatives. Kenzi was, however, kind enough to give them a substantial severance pay and glowing references to avoid any unwanted questions or litigations.

It was a good life, and a happy one. But it was over now. Tamsin had struggled to grow into and control her powers with Kenzi's aid, but once they had began to manifest themselves unbidden she had run off to find the Valkyrie to master them, regain her past memories and learn who she was. Dagny longed to do the same, since she couldn't go back to those care-free times.

Valhalla and adventures beckoned, yet she was unable to answer the call. She felt an irresistible urge to seek out her own kind, much akin to the drive that compels migratory birds to fly south in the winter. That was the impetus behind her attempts to run off, and it was especially hard to resist after an argument with Bo. It wasn't a simple desire, it wasn't logical, and it wasn't personal. But Jack wasn't the only one who had spies everywhere. Bo had learned from him a valuable lesson from him, and watchful eyes loyal to the Succubus saw everything she did no matter where she went in the colony.

The happy guitar riffs of the song faded, and her mood fell into step with the new tune that replaced it. The mournful, stoic, yet determined vibe ditty sent her thoughts back to exact moment and reasons she was now firmly under the thumb over her sister. She sang along briefly, " _I've got to ruuuun to keep from hiding…"_ She fell silent as it reminded her she couldn't run or hide from the truth that she had brought all of this down on herself with her own arrogance. The memory, along with the sorrow and shame permanently affixed to it nearly brought her to tears. Nearly.

But the song had droned on without her accompaniment, " _I don't ownnn the clothes I'm wearin', and the roooaaad goes on forever. I've got one more silver dollar-"_ she added her voice to the last stanza of the chorus with determination, " _-but I'm not gonna let 'em catch me,no…not gonna let them Catch the Midnight Riderrr!"_

The two daughters of Hades were at loggerheads. Eventually the battle wills between an immoveable object and an irresistible force would be resolved. Something was going to have to give soon; she knew that. And everyone else did, too.


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks for reading, part 2 of last chapter. No copyright infringement intended.**

Dawning of a Valkyrie

Chapter 7: Dagny's Soliloquy 2

 _ **Earlier That Evening…**_

Alone in her room, the young Valkyrie mused that it felt as if her entire life would be nothing but frustration and loneliness, exactly the same life her mother lived as she secretly longed to belong to a family. The complete opposite of what her time with her human mother had been like. She had indeed caused the current situation, she didn't blame anyone else. Life was so good during her first five years. But nothing good lasts forever.

The end of her wonderful l life with Kenzi was her fault, she knew it. At the age of five, with the body and attitude of a typical 16 year old, she had wanted to stay late and alone at a festival in the beach town they lived in to party with a group of drunken young men and women she had just met. Although they assured her foster mother they would see her home safely, Kenzi forbade it for very sensible reasons any parent would agree with. Still, Dagny was furious. In her anger, she used her powers of doubt unknowingly yet very effectively for the first time, and it was on her own adopted mother. When Kenzi cheerfully capitulated to her request and left her, she was at first surprised and overjoyed until her foster mother's predictions came true.

Some of the rowdy revelers had plied her with alcohol, which she readily accepted and indulged in with gusto. She drank far too much far too quickly than an uninitiated drinker, or anyone, should. It wasn't long before a couple of the young women she had flirted with tried to peel her away from rest of the group towards waiting taxis. It may have been to take her home safely as promised; it may have been for more sinister reasons as she couldn't remember now or understand at the time what they were saying to her. In her drunken haze, she resisted blindly and violently with her fists and abnormal strength, and one of them slapped her across the face in retaliation. That was all it took for her Valkyrie powers to take full control of her – she doubted the slapper into pissing her pants. That much she knew. When the rest of the group of young men and women gathered more closely around her to try to calm her down, she had lost all control in her fury.

She wasn't sure what she had done or how, but when she came back to herself she was alone and sitting on the beach unharmed and unmolested – and quite sober. Not very much time had passed, she knew because it was still dark and the lights and music still spilled from the now abandoned vendor stalls and boardwalk near her. But the crowd was gone, screaming and running for the hills, their shouts slowly drown out by the sounds of sirens in the distance, fast approaching. She didn't care, nor move from her sitting with arms wrapped around her bent knees as the local police came up and questioned her. Rocking herself back and forth and giving no answer, they assumed she was a victim rather than the perpetrator of the reported potential terrorist scare, and soothingly coaxed her into a squad car.

Kenzi came to claim her at the police station early in the morning, as soon as she was informed by fae members of the police force that the Valkyrie was being held as a potential material witness. But the fae police and Kenzi herself knew better; they knew it was obvious that the girl was not a witness but the initiator of the attack. The human police were certain some sort of failed terrorist attack had occurred, and were determined to get any information they could from the near catatonic young blonde, clearly still in shock.

Dagny had doubted her mother into going home and straight to bed, which she cheerfully had done. The phone ringing before first light was the first indication anything was amiss. Hale's grandfather's fae connections in the police force came through and called her as soon as they got wind of what had happened. It was apparent to her now that her young charge had used her powers, first on her, and then on others – on a grand scale that could not be easily swept under the rug. The fae police recognized it as a probable Valkyrie attack, and that meant trouble.

Sitting alone in an interrogation room wrapped in a blanket, the young Valkyrie allowed herself to be swallowed in a hug and fawned over by her human mother. She thought Kenzi might be angry with her, as she now realized she had inadvertently used her power of doubt on her. But the human was obviously more afraid for her safety – and sad for some reason. As the human fashion guru rained kisses in quick succession on the top of her blonde head hung in shame, she ignored the Valkyrie's whispered mantra of "I'm sorry….I'm so sorry…"

Hands pulling her face up to broke her out of her fugue, and when green eyes met blue her mother told her in no uncertain terms, "No more. Not here. We have to go home now. OK?" Kenzi instructed her, tears gathering in her pale blue eyes.

"OK…" was the barely audible response from her adopted daughter. Dagny was then ushered out of the police station by Kenzi and an entourage of friendly fae police and into a waiting limo. The ride home was quiet; neither the young Valkyrie nor her foster mother spoke, the former out of shame, the latter out of sheer panic and relief that no one had been physically harmed. They merely held each other in the back seat.

After she had taken a shower and a much needed nap, the inevitable 'talk' happened over lunch. "Dagny,…" Kenzi began cautiously while toying with her food, "…you know how I told you I was asked to raise you with humans, even though your mother asked your sister, Bo, to raise you before she died…"

"No, please, no! I'm sorry! I didn't mean it! I won't do it again! I promise! I-" the budding fae began, dropping her fork in the epiphany of the apparent consequence of her actions.

"Please let me finish!" Kenzi expertly exerted her parental authority, but showed her compassion for her adopted daughter as well as she continued earnestly, "I _love_ you, little monkey! I don't blame you for what happened. And I don't want to send you away. But, you can't stay with me anymore. Too many people-"

She was interrupted by a bear hug from the young blonde after she crossed the room faster than should be possible. Her uncontrollable sobbing caused her mother to lose her own composure as she wept openly along with her daughter she held so tightly. "I'm sorry Dagny, but hiding with me isn't safe anymore! The fae will know what you are! Only Bo can protect you now!" she whispered in consolation.

Dagny only wailed unintelligible pleas and heartfelt declarations of love for her mother into her now tear-soaked shoulder, breath hitching in sobs. It was soul wrenching, for both of them. It was the first time the young Valkyrie cried since she had the body of a very young child. But she had never cried for so long or with such heartbreak; and she had never cried since.

No one knew exactly what happened that fateful night, the reports were conflicting and so varied that it seemed as if every witness had seen something different. The witnesses reported a giant spider, a suicide bomber, a demon from Hell, even a dragon. The human police concluded that it was probably a case of mass hysteria caused by a panicking group of young people who ingested a bad batch of hallucinogenic drugs. But the fae police knew better, and phone calls to the local elders cemented their belief that it was an extremely powerful Valkyrie attack against multiple people at one time. Given the extraordinary abilities of Bo, and the sudden disappearance of Tamsin, it wasn't hard for them to work out the secret of Dagny's parentage everyone had worked so hard to keep hidden. After the disappearance of Jack, Bo and her family were the only ones who knew Tamsin had given birth to a daughter. But that cover was blown.

Now, she was even forbidden from calling her human mother from her own phone, lest possible bounty hunters from Jack or the radical fae who wanted to take her out before she could gain her powers find her. Kenzi was being watched now, that much was certain. They always waited for the human to call them from other numbers, when she felt it was safe to do so. Dagny couldn't bear being the cause something bad happening to the only mother she had ever known over an argument with her sister. The danger was real, she knew, but the restrictive rules and strict boundaries her sister placed on her were pointless, in her mind. _But Bo is right about one thing, we can't risk Kenzi's safety.._

"I wish Kenzi were here to give me some advice. I don't know what to do or who to believe anymore."

 _ **Right now…**_

Lauren lay satisfied and exhausted, catching her breath. Bo was lying next to her, head resting on her wife's shoulder as she slowly and gently traced meandering paths in the sweat covered terrain of the abdomen under her. The Succubus looked up at the clock; it was late now, for a human doctor who needed to go to work early in the morning. And for Bo, too, if she wanted to make Evony's appointment. "We can go to sleep now, it's getting late. We can finish this-"

"No!" the suddenly rejuvenated doctor exclaimed as she reversed their positions again, now in control of the Succubus' formerly relaxed arms in the exact position she was held earlier, "I have to retaliate and punish you for your earlier rebellion – and _you_ have to tell me what happened upstairs…"

It was going to be one of those looonnnggg nights….

Not that that was a bad thing. It had been such a long time since they fully gave each other their undivided attention in an all-night lovemaking session. The reason for it no longer mattered to Bo; she knew this was Lauren's way of getting her to talk honestly about her relationship with her sister without holding anything back and to persuade her to be open to accept gentle advice on how to move forward.

"Yes, mistress!" she replied dutifully, well aware and uncaring of the fact that her wife was obviously manipulating her. "But, please don't hurt me!" she jokingly implored as her wife nibbled her neck.

"I won't…" Lauren mumbled against the delicate skin under her wife's ear. When her lover's only response was to moan into her own ear, she bit down sharply. The Succubus let out a satisfying yelp, and she continued her sentence, "…too much. So long as you behave, and hit every stop on this journey…" the doctor continued more gently.

"Yes, oh gods…yes! I will, but I don't know what happened when she was alone in her room!" Bo readily agreed eager to continue their lovemaking.

"Just keep going." The blonde encouraged in a whisper, moving her lips down to her now submissive wife's shoulders, "As long as you tell me _everything_ , I'm sure we can work it out from the context." Lauren was just as willing, so long as there was some progress in getting her wife to realize exactly what was bothering the young Valkyrie. And she felt sure it wasn't the reason the Succubus believed it was.

"Yes, well…I went straight upstairs as soon as I got home, as you know…"

 _ **Earlier that evening…**_

A soft knocking at the door brought Dagny back to the present. She assumed it was Lauren, since past experience dictated that Bo would invariably announce her presence with loud foot stomps up the stairs and a no-knock entry given the fight they had this afternoon. She absent mindedly invited the intruder to open the door. "Hey…" her sister's soft voice startled her into turning around in shock to face her.

Now that she saw the look of contrition on Bo's face, combined with her own nostalgic mood, the ire that motivated her departure from Dyson's vanished. "Hey…" she answered in kind. She held no animosity towards Bo, or hadn't even felt any emotional hurt by what had transpired. She was driven by the desire to discover and control her powers, irritating her sister was just a collateral consequence. And, if she was being completely honest with herself, quite amusing and self-satisfying.

Just as Dagny was extremely motivated by the need to explore her powers, her older sister was equally concerned with protecting her and controlling who tutored or influenced her in that quest. And since Evony and the other mysterious Valkyrie's motives were self-serving at best and sometimes just downright evil, they weren't deemed trustworthy enough to risk them gaining influence with her impressionable young sister. Even if they held skills and knowledge vital for her to prepare for the Dawning of the young Valkyrie.

The disagreement between the sister's wasn't the impetus for Dagny's unannounced return home; that was motivated by her search for knowledge, as it seemed pointless for her to remain if her voice wasn't heard. And Lauren had provided all the confirmation she needed to feel secure in the knowledge that her suspicions were right – she had indeed seen another Valkyrie for the first time ever.

"I brought some of your mother's things, Dyson asked me to give them to you. You left before he could do it himself." Bo clued in on the reflective mood of the girl and carried the box she had lugged upstairs into the room, setting it down on the bed next to her young sister. She noticed the albums in the girl's lap, and felt a pang of guilt. _She must miss Kenzi terribly. We all do._ the brunette thought to herself. When the girl made no move to look through it or say anything other than muttered emotionless thanks, she continued, "Can we…talk….? About what happened this afternoon?"

"Sure, Bo. As you like." She shut the photo book and carefully and gave her guardian her full attention. She sighed, resigning herself to humbly submitting to another lecture about running off without telling anyone and danger and blah blah blah. "Go ahead." She gave the Succubus the lead.

"That woman you saw, the one you thought was a Valkyrie…?" Bo began gently taking a seat on the bed on the opposite side of the box next to the young fae, "Well, we talked about it, and we don't think that is the case. From our experience, the Valkyrie always are drawn to each other, even if they kinda hate each other." the Succubus chuckled out a quiet snort remembering her shock at seeing Tamsin and Stacey being so close after betraying and fighting with each other. "Tamsin always said they were all SISTERS, like some ridiculous sorority that stand by each other no matter how shitty they are to each other! If she were a Valkyrie, she would have surely made contact with you…and since you don't have your full powers yet-"

"You're right Bo. You all have more experience dealing with Valkyrie, so it seems pretty obvious that I was mistaken. I've never even met one, and I let my wishful thinking get the better of me. Tell Mark I'm sorry for scaring him while I chased down some random hot girl on an impulse. It won't happen again." She answered sincerely and without sarcasm or vitriol, looking directly into her sister's dark brown eyes. _Of course she doesn't believe I saw a Valkyrie. Of course they have more experience dealing with them. And of course Bo trusts everyone else's judgment more than she does mine. I am certain of it - that Valkyrie can recognize each other, and that short blonde certainly knew what I was, too! Still, I can't throw Lauren under the bus…it isn't fair to her to drag her into this fight! And since I will never be able to convince Bo she is wrong about anything, best just let it go._

Bo was dumbstruck for a moment, just as shocked as her sister had been when she began the conversation without a scolding over running off again. "Uh….OK…well…" _What the hell is she playing at! Maybe Vex was right; she just wanted to push my buttons-and she is oh so good at it!_ "….Well, maybe you should open this box! Dyson said one of your mother's leather jackets is in here….!" She trailed off with a raised inflection in her voice mirrored by her eyebrows, drumming a tattoo on the box to officially announce the changing of their moods. The penchant for leather was evidently inherent in Valkyrie, from what she had seen of them. And from the surprised and joyful look the young blonde gave her, she felt secure in her assumption.

"Oooohhhh! Let's see it!" her blonde sister said cheerily, ripping the lid off the evidence box in her excitement and tossing across the room. They were both trying so hard, in their own way to get closer. And even if they both knew a simple gift of Tamsin's forgotten possessions was really a distraction from their fundamental disagreements, they were both willing to play along for the sake of détente. She rooted quickly through the T-shirts, jeans, workout gear and underclothes of dubious cleanliness with a disgusted face as she tossed them aside. Finding her bright blue prize, she held it up by the shoulders in victory. "Nice! Not my choice of color, but at least I know she had _style!_ " she gushed over her discovery with a grin.

 _Tamsin wore that jacket when she helped me rescue Kenzi from the kitsune,_ she thought, _How appropriate that it is the one that gets handed down to her daughter. It was the first time we ever connected…_ "Well…..? Try it on!" Bo encouraged exuberantly with an answering smile that reached her eyes with its honesty as she threw her hands up in disbelief that the young fae hadn't immediately put it on upon discovery.

And Dagny needed no further encouraging, despite the musty smell that permeated everything in the box, it felt good to her to connect with her dead mother and estranged sister in one simple gesture. And she loved the jacket; she couldn't resist the request on any level.

The young blonde jumped up and shrugged into the green jacket, zipping it up to double-check the fit. "Perfect!" she said softly as she stretched her arms out, turning her hands to and fro and spinning around, just to make sure.

 _ **Right now….**_

"So, you didn't catch that, did you?" Lauren asked, interrupting the story at an uplifting moment. She rose from the bed and reached into the nightstand drawer, searching for something.

"Wh…what?" Bo had not expected an interruption at this juncture of the story. Later, yes, but not now. Things were going well, both in the story with her sister and in the here and now, with her wife. She sat up to see what her erstwhile lover was up to. "What are you doing?" she asked, breaking character and forgetting the original question she had wanting to ask.

"LAY DOWN! I didn't say you could get up." Lauren whipped her head around over her shoulder to command her 'slave.' The Doctor was IN…charge.

"Yes, sorry Mistress. Please forgive me." Bo went along with the game they hadn't played in years, forgetting the rules out of lack of practice. She obediently lay back down, asking no further questions and waited patiently for Lauren to tell her what she wanted of her.

Her wife found what she was seeking and turned fully back to face her now obedient servant with a bottle of massage oil. As she raised her lover's arms out on the bed and began to rub the oil into them, she continued. "You didn't answer my question – I asked if you understood what your sister said to you. About the alleged Valkyrie she saw today."

"But I already told you what she said – she said the woman wasn't-" she didn't complete the thought and groaned instead. The doctor was running her hands down her outstretched arms and dug her fingernails into her partner's soft flesh to let her know she was on the wrong track. It wasn't sharp enough to hurt, but it brought on the epiphany that the young Valkyrie didn't deny and probably still believed the short-haired blonde in the truck that resembled Tamsin's was a sister of Valhalla. It was even clearer to her now that she knew what the young fae had discussed with Lauren before she got home. "Sorry, mistress – I didn't catch it at the time. But I do now."

"Good!" her mistress cooed, lips barely over one shoulder just above the armpit. She was working her skin with her mouth as her hands were otherwise occupied. "You both believe the other is wrong, and don't share enough trust to have an honest discussion. But neither of you **want** to fight over issues you disagree about. _She_ distracted you by seemingly telling you what you wanted to hear, and _you_ went along with it and distracted her with something you knew she would want, and it made both of you happy for a moment. That works with toddlers, but it isn't going to resolve anything if neither one of you is _listening_ to the other. But you have my undivided attention, now, go on…"

"You would be a really good mother, you know that?" Bo stated sincerely.

Lauren nipped her a bit hard, and explained the punishment quickly, when her wife objected with a yelp. "You broke character! Keep going…"

"Sorry" Bo said, "And then she wanted the gun. I told her….no…she started….OH…we argued….she left…shhhi….wait….NO!...why did you stop now!?"

"You ruined the narrative!" Lauren stated bluntly, looking down at her wife sternly.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 9 coming soon, no copyright infringement intended.**

Dawning of a Valkyrie

Chapter 8: Two Divas' Duet

 _ **Right now…**_

"Sorry" Bo said, "And then she wanted the gun. I told her….no…she started….OH…we argued….she left…shhhi….wait….NO!...why did you stop now!?"

"You ruined the narrative!" Lauren stated bluntly, looking down at her wife sternly. She had indeed stopped her slow yet inexorable journey down her wife's body with hands, lips, teeth and tongue. She was now propped on elbows and knees, effectively blocking most of their shared contact, except their eyes. "You can't just teleport to the end of a trip! And giving me spoilers won't stop me from wanting to see the whole show!"

"What the hell! You are mixing metaphors! And to both of them - Yes I can…" Bo began, until she found her hands bound by soft handcuffs and incapable of administering the supernatural sexual charms she intended them to. "Ooofff…damn it, Lauren! Not fair…! Wait how did you-?"

"No, I am not mixing metaphors. I am mixing allegories! Anyways, a magician never reveals her secrets! And it isn't over until the old diva sings her aria!" Lauren smirked while gently dragging the toenail of one foot up her lover's leg to encourage her to continue. The early hour forgotten now that both realized they could be as loud as they wanted since their young charge wasn't just down the hall. When Bo tried to retaliate with her own feet, she found them bound, as well. The doctor was in charge, and raised an eyebrow and half a frown at her captive's attempts to escape.

But Bo's detective instincts wouldn't let it go, "So… when I was in the tub you set the stage…you took your clothes off and distracted me…OK…. But who taught you to be a shadow thief, huh? _Kenzi!_ Or was it Dyson? Uh, who-"

"Does it really matter?" Lauren asked with a giggle. "You were trying to distract me, just now, so you can argue your case about our future plans instead of what is most important right at this moment. To paraphrase Tamsin, one freaking disaster at a time, Bo. You are at my mercy. I am calling the shots, and…" She began her attentions to her wife, starting over at her neck instead of picking up where she left off. "…I want to hear the limits of your vocal range…"

"I know what you are doing." The Succubus stated matter-of-factly as she stared up at the ceiling.

"Mmmm, do you want me to stop?" Lauren murmured against her skin and dragged a lingering lick to the dimple where her wife's collarbone met her sternum. She looked up into the glowing blue eyes with a loving smile as she settled her body down on top of the Succubus once again.

And her smile was returned in kind as her lover answered as she did to the same question when they first met, "No."

"Then let's roll on…"

 _ **Earlier that afternoon…**_

"It looks good on you." The brunette beamed.

Dagny put her hands on her hips and snarked out a reply with a scrunch of her nose, "Well, **that's** good news, 'cause it certainly doesn't smell good on me! I need to get this to the cleaners, ASAP!" Her sister didn't contribute further to their good natured attempts at bonding; she was too struck by how much more the young girl looked like her mother now that she was wearing a familiar jacket of Tamsin's. Ignoring her silent sister, the young blonde had spotted something else in the box that might bring the Succubus out of her dumbstruck state. "Oh, yeah baby!" eyes twinkling she snatched the black leather id and badge holder out. Opening it she held it up and cocked her head to one side and smirked, "I'm Officer Dagny, and you have the right to remain annoying! No, not convinced I'd make a good cop? Oh, I'm missing something…"

But it felt as if someone had walked over Bo's grave, and she could muster no reaction. Her sister was digging in the box looking for something she felt must be in there as well, to bring Bo out of her fugue state and back into the game. And it did, or rather the absence of it did as soon as the older fae realized what she was looking for. "Uh, sorry – if you are looking for the gun, Dyson is keeping that for you until you are trained. Besides, it's against the law. And you haven't even been through the Dawning." _And that may be sooner than we think now that Balzac is running around here somewhere._

"Aaaww Tits! I knew I should move to Texas!" Dagny stomped a foot and pouted in jest, the spell broken with her very own brand of un-Tamsin like behavior. "Hey, about my Dawning, she gazed idly at the picture of her mother on the police id, "…any new leads on finding a guide for me?"

"…oh….uh…." Bo smiled awkwardly, as she was sure those green eyes weren't as focused on the image of her mother as they pretended to be. "Yes well, Stella had to cancel…and, uhm…I haven't been able to find a….suitably qualified-"

"Oh course you haven't." she closed the badge holder with a snap and stowed it into the inner pocket of the jacket smoothly with an easy natural shrug.

"Dagny, I am trying my best to-" the Succubus was in full blown defensive mode, mistakenly thinking her sister thought she was withholding helping help intentionally.

"I know you are. Everyone knows. And no yet one with any experience as a guide to the Dawning has agreed or stepped forward to help the sister of the Dark Queen, daughter of Hades, gain her powers or prepare for her Dawning. Word is already spreading about who I am. And what a shocker, huh, that most fae want me to fail – to be trapped in the Temple for all eternity? I don't blame them." She informed her flabbergasted sister matter-of-factly.

"No….that's not true!" Bo emphatically denied. But it was true, they both knew it – most of the colony did, too.

"It **is** true, Bo. After what happened with you, they are terrified of what I may do. Stop ignoring the obvious to try to save my feelings. Evony has offered to help. I want to accept it. She-" Dagny became more aggressive in her persuasive tactics with her sister's denial of the truth.

" **NO!** Not her! She is the MORIGGAN! A KILLER! The leader of the DARK!" the Succubus shouted out the oblivious facts as if it was self-evident and a foregone conclusion that being Dark fae was a deal breaker.

And her young charge easily refuted that, "And what if I WANT to be Dark fae, huh?! What if **I** want to join them! My mother did, after all! It's only natural-"

"OH HO HO, You know NOTHING about your mother if you think for one minute she would want you to join EVONY! She despised that woman! She left her, and then she joined our family!" Bo had played the Ace trump card she was holding, and it was an irrefutable truth.

"Oh, and why did she do that? Did the Morrigan betray her?" now she was genuinely curious.

This took the older fae by surprise; and in fact she had never stopped to consider exactly when or why Tamsin left Evony's employ. From what she knew, the Morrigan did pay well. _And…that's probably why Tamsin was living in her truck – even fae need cash in this world. Huh, I never made the connection…_ "Wh….what? No, she…they had some sort of falling out…neither one of them ever, you know, talked about it much…Tamsin – disobeyed Evony…she's just evil…!" she managed to stammer out. That much was true, but Tamsin only lived with them after she was reborn. The reason Dyson brought her to Kenzi was so she could tell them where Bo was after the Succubus was abducted and taken to Rainer.

"My **mother** …is **evil**?" standing up straight to emphasis their height difference; she crossed her arms as if she were the adult in the room and addressing a petulant child throwing a tantrum. Eyebrows raised, she waited for a rebuttal.

"Now you are being ridiculous." Bo's arms crossed in response as she called her sister out with an accusation of her own.

"And you are being evasive."

Bo uncrossed her hand and threw them up in frustration; she was innocent of this accusation, and thusly informed her, "NO! I don't know **why** Evony fired Tamsin! None of us do! Neither one of them told us what happened!"

"OK, OK! I believe you!" the blonde capitulated, much to Bo's relief. "Maybe they were lovers or something, and it ended badly." she mused aloud, not really believing it. _Surely she will see this is an ambush._ The Valkyrie thought. It was an obvious ploy to get information the Succubus could easily avoid.

"Evony…" Bo laughed cynically, "…and Tamsin? No, no no! We were really the only people Tamsin cared for, I mean other than Acacia. She wasn't…" the Succubus caught herself before she said something negative about her sister's mother – even if it was true. "…Acacia wasn't around much." She concluded. _Gods below, I can't tell her that her mother was so cynically blunt she habitually pissed off most people around her – Evony included. And she was proud of it._

"Did anyone ever **ask** her why?"

"Well, no. Does it really matter?"

"I don't know. Does it? I'm still trying to work out why no one in my mother's _loving_ family asked her why she was fired and had to live in her **truck**." Hands on her hips, Dagny leaned forward and sprung the trap she had carefully set.

 _Whelp, guess Dagny made the connection. Damn that girl! I beginning to think she knows much more than she is letting on…_ Bo thought, but said nothing. Tamsin could have acted as a double agent, and Evony would never have been the wiser. _She_ _ **must**_ _have openly defied her to get fired. Then again, Tam Tam knew she wasn't a very good liar._

"It's become clear that you can't, or won't help me. It's time for me to take matters into my own hands and become the Valkyrie **I** want to be. And good or evil; the Morrigan can help me – even you can't deny that!" With that she searched out her keys, finished with trying to talk honestly with her sister. Snatching them off the dresser she shoved them in the front pocket of her mother's jacket, and suddenly halted her mad rush to leave.

"She is only going to use you, Dagny! That's what she does, ask anyone! You need to stay with the people that love you. And as for…what is it?" the young Valkyrie's expression turned concerned at thoughtful as she looked at an object she had found in the side pocket of her jacket.

Dagny stared at it quizzically, the argument and urgent need to leave abandoned, for the moment. It was just a small dog-eared spiral flip notebook, typical of tool of a detective. It was already opened to the last page that she had written on. Dagny read aloud the cryptic last words her mother had written in the notebook before she herself died in a truck crash. She answered her sister emotionlessly, "It says, 'Love will get you killed.' And it is underlined." She flipped through it briefly, not seeing the pained look on her sister's face. "Everything else in here looks like police case notes, with an occasional doodle. What a strange thing to write in it! Why do you think she wrote that down?"

"I…don't know. Just a Valkyrie thing…they say that…doesn't matter. It's not true anyways. You're still not going to Evony's!" her older sister would not be deterred from her mission to keep the girl here by Tamsin's old mantra.

"No, I'm going to Mark and Vex's place. They are more helpful than you are." She grabbed a duffel bag and began shoving clothes from her closet and dresser in it as her sister watched in disbelief.

She laughed in open mockery as mother might when a normal 10 year old threatened to run away over being grounded for not doing their chores. "Really, and what makes you think they want some homeless waif sleeping on their coach for the rest of their lives, huh?"

Dagny shrugged, "Then I'll live in my truck until I can find a job get my own place. If it was good enough for Tamsin, it's good enough for me! I'm sure Evony will have a job for me, since I already know you won't allow Dyson to hire me. I have skills, and potential." With that she opened the door and stepped out into the hall, Bo hurrying behind her to get her last licks in before the girl took off.

"Guess again! Evony won't dare let you anywhere near her if she knows what's good for her – I'm gonna make that very clear to her!"

"Oh THANKS a lot! Well, if you insist deciding how I live the rest of my life for me, I'm not going to make it easy for you. Clear your schedule! There's always Valhalla and my sister Valkyrie, and I bet they aren't as intimidated by you as everyone else is!"

Now they were stomping down the stairs, the Succubus in full-blown self-righteous outrage, " **I** am your sister! Your mother asked **me** to raise you! **I** am the one responsible for you! If the Valkyrie cared about you so much they would have came for you _long_ ago!"

"Whatever! I'm going to be Dark fae and I will learn to be a Valkyrie!" Just as she reached the door her sister moved to physically block her exit with crossed arms and a look of parental authority. Dagny paused, but she wasn't deterred in the least. "You'll have to succu-bitch the life out of me to stop me! So you can kill me now or get the hell out of my way!"

"I don't need to kill you…to convince you stay here." Bo threatened to use her Succubus charms with a raised eyebrow.

And Dagny replied in kind, "And I don't need to kill _you_ …to convince you to let me go. But, who knows - I have very little control over my powers. I bet daddy's gene's leveled me up, like they did you" She shrugged at the possibility.

"That's cold, even for you."

"It's not a threat, Bo, just a fact. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Here's another fact, Dagny – Jack is still out there, waiting for you!"

"But he's _**family**_ Bo! Isn't family the most important thing in life? He's the one thing we have in common! He didn't hurt you, and I doubt he'll hurt me. I'm not afraid of him." The conviction in her voice was genuine. She wasn't afraid.

That had the desired effect of shocking her sister long enough for her to push past her and open the door. But Bo responded quickly once she realized the girl was making good her escape, "He tortured your mother. She suffered horribly, in ways he knew would hurt her most."

And Dagny in her turn paused and turned around slowly, "Go on…" _Finally, she will talk to me as an equal, not a child she needs to shield from the true horrors of the world…_

"He kills the people around us, our family and friends! That's what he does! And that's why you need to stay here, where I can protect you!"

Bo had cleverly redirected the conversation to punctuate the dangers Hades presented, instead of elaborating on the new insights she had blurted out to her sister. And now the young blonde felt vindicated in her determination to leave, telling her sister, "So she tortured my mother, slit your family's throats with a _knife_ , like a human street thug….all right under your nose…then convinced you to kill everyone in the whole colony, and _**you**_ want _**me**_ to stay near you like they did. And to top it all off you won't even let anyone help me to gain my powers. Huh, let me think." She sarcastically tapped her lip as she tilted her head back. "NOPE, can't argue with that logic. And don't worry; I have no friends, and no family other than you! It's not your fault, you raised me right! Cued me up to be next one on a slab in the morgue!"

Her gambit failed, and Bo called out desperately, defaulting to authority as the blonde fae grabbed the door handle from the outside, "You can't just storm out of here – you have no idea what we are up against!"

"Ha! How can I know ANYTHING? All anyone ever does is feed me lies and keep secrets from me!" she said as she awkwardly adjusted her adjusted the duffle bag hung on her shoulder and photo album tucked under her arm. Her burdens gave Bo almost enough time for a last ditch attempt at full disclosure to convince her to stay. Almost.

"Dagny, wait! I can ex-" The door slammed and the young fae was gone. "…plain." The Succubus finished after a second that seemed to last an hour to the closed door in front of her. _Shit! She is not going to let this go! Oh, damn it! Jack used the secrets Trick kept from me against us; I have to tell her everything before he finds her! But gods know what she is capable of once she has her full power. And she is waaaay too eager to explore those powers to their full extent. No way will I allow Evony to harness them, and if she_ _ **is**_ _fae again…I bet his glowing blue hand had something to do with it!_

 _ **Right now…**_

"And now you really _do_ know the rest." Bo sighed, her sexual desires now sated. She unthinkingly tried to move to clap her hand on her forehead in disappointment of her failure to stop the young girl. She was surprised when her open right palm met her forehead with a slap that brought her back to the present. The Succubus looked up at her former 'captor' in shock. "What…"

"Oh, uh…end of the road!" Lauren stated with a lop-sided smirk. "Time to stretch and talk about what happened on our adventure!"

"Uh, no!" Bo matter-of-factly stated. "It's not over; it's only the curtain of Act 3! You haven't told me what Vex said to you on the phone!"

"Now who is mixing metaphors!" the doctor giggled in response, gleeful that her wife had the presence of mind to play along with the game so well. "Allegories…whatever! Because now it **is** late, and tomorrow don't you need to get Dagny, meet with Evony, track down Balzac, as well as investigate the open cases on your books? That's a lot on your plate, and you'll need an early start! Besides, I'm tired, myself, and I have a lot of wo-"

Her wife had pushed herself up to interrupt her with a deep and lingering kiss, giving her some of her chi into her partner to energize her. Just in case that didn't do the trick, she pushed more charms into her with her left hand that had abandoned its task of helping to prop her up and now worked to pull the blonde down on top of her by the back of her neck.

But there was no need, Lauren had already given up on her half-hearted attempt to bring practical logic into the decision making process as soon as their lips met. Now she was all in, and willingly allowed the Succubus to upstage her and take the lead. But as she relaxed her body on top of her partner, her nagging and reasoning nature couldn't help but offer a half-hearted objection whispered into long dark hair, "Bo, you are going to miss your appointment with Evony!"

The brunette barely paused her arousing assault on her wife's neck long enough to mutter, "Vex is right, she knows what will happen if she hurts you…"

"But.."

"…and she _will_ see me **whenever** I show up…" her wife knew her well enough to anticipate her argument accurately.

She felt the truth in her wife's assertions, and gave in to get the show on the road towards its destination. "Ok…of course…I phoned Vex …and…as you predicted, he wasn't happy…"

 _ **Earlier that evening…**_

"Dr. Lewis! How _lovely_ of you to ring me out of the blue! We haven't had a good chat in _such_ a long time!" the Mesmer answered sarcastically. Although they weren't at odds with each other, Vex and Lauren didn't really talk much. It was only natural, since they had very little in common, but he was obviously perturbed over something now. And she called him out on it, immediately.

"Cut the crap, Vex. Is she there?" Dr. Lewis got to the point quickly. She already assumed Dagny was there given the Mesmer's attitude.

"Yes, yes! The Hell-spawn is here, spoiling my plans for the evening! Shall I tell her you are coming to collect her?" he asked hopefully.

"Oh…ahh…yeah…uhmm…" she grimaced into the phone, closing her eyes tightly. She hated to impose on the Dark fae to ask a favor of him, but didn't want to witness the two sisters fight another round tonight. Emotions were running far too high this evening, and the consequences could be far worse than a verbal disagreement. "Would it be OK if she stayed with you and Mark tonight?" she blurted out.

"Whut? Just tonight? She wants to MOVE IN!" Vex informed her.

"I'm sorry Vex, but just for tonight. Things got too…heated this evening. We'll come get her and sort it all out in the morning. Just make sure she doesn't take off on her own to Evony's, or anywhere else, OK?" She coaxed.

"Aaahh, all right. Just tonight, then. Bo and Dagny do have that appointment with Evony first thing in the morning, after all. We could all use some sleep." Vex caved in too easily.

"So…Mark already said she could stay, didn't he?" Lauren snickered.

"Touché, Dr. Lewis, touché!" he sighed, then admitted, "Yeah, he has planted his standard firmly in "Team Dagny" territory, but make sure your report to the Queen reflects that I am remaining neutral. I certainly don't want Goldilocks camping out on my couch, but it's not worth starting a row with Mark over it, and at the same time I don't want to get on the bad side of Her Majesty, either. Mark thinks Tamsin 2.0 made the right decision. But I'll make sure she doesn't think things will be any easier here; so- no worries, she'll be ready to come home in the morning. Although, considering what happened to her mother and I after we moved back in with Bo, well… I don't blame her for moving out." He paused and grimaced into the phone before adding, "But don't tell Bo I said that, knowwhutImean?!" he blurted hurriedly, still tipsy but sober enough to realize what he said.

 _ **Right now…**_

"That…little…SHIT! How DA-"

"Oohhhh…sorry, I shouldn't have told you that part!" now it was Lauren who clapped her hand on her forehead as she groaned out her apology. She had accidentally snitched on Vex, who wanted the young Valkyrie to go back home for his own reasons.

Bo, now once again lying on top of her wife, had lifted her head up from her toned stomach to express her outrage. "No, I'm glad you did Lauren! It's good to know how people really feel about me! So, he's afraid of me, huh?"

"Of course he is! You two do have history! And you do have a habit of intimidating people when you are angry; surely you realize that by now!" Lauren sat up on her elbows a bit, to look her wife in the eyes.

But the Succubus was disconsolate, "Is that why you married me, because you are afraid of what I would do if you didn't?" Her eyes were filled with hurt her wife knew was feigned.

The doctor sat up fully to gather the brunette into a tight embrace and passionate kiss. When their lips parted, she reassured her, "No, stop being silly! You KNOW that's not true! I love you, I always have. And I know you love me! But…"

"…but…" Bo encouraged curiously. She hadn't expected a caveat with the anticipated reaffirmation of love.

"…you _can_ be intimidating to those who aren't graced by your affection." Bo merely grimaced at the revelation, not denying its validity. Lauren went on, calling her bluff, "And sometimes, you even seem to revel in that fact. Remember when-"

"OK, OK! It's true, I know it. No need to spike the football." The Succubus pouted, somewhat shamed and disappointed Lauren had seen through her ploy to gain sympathy and shift their full attention to their lovemaking. But they had pretty much said all they needed to tonight, and there was no need to continue down that road.

"Oh babe, I didn't mean to scold you! I only meant you shouldn't be surprised or offended by the fact that Vex has a healthy aversion to pissing you off!" Lauren soothed, brushing an errant strand of the brunette's hair out of her face. They both laughed at that, and the doctor added, "Anyways, none of us are perfect. We all have our faults."

Bo smiled warmly, and denied her statement. "No, not all of us. Not you. You're perfect." They melted into one another with a long and slow kiss. They both knew nothing more need be said tonight; all was well with the world, and tomorrow's problems could wait until tomorrow.

And so the curtain fell on the emotional evening filled with long kept secrets revealed and the inevitable conflicts that caused thankfully defused for now. Dyson wistfully turned the lights off and locked up his old gym apartment for the last time and was looking forward to opening a new chapter in his life now that everyone knew about it. Mark, Vex, and Dagny were huddled on the couch together, laughing at the buddy cop movie 'Lethal Weapon 2,' so the young blonde could further her education in pop culture and learn just what _they_ say about the drive thru. It seemed funnier to her than when Mark had tried to explain it. And Bo and Lauren, well, they were doing what they do. Rejoicing in the belief that the tension within the group was close to complete resolution, they relaxed and gave their full attention to each other in a way they hadn't done for years. All was right with the world tonight.


	9. Chapter 9

Dawning of a Valkyrie

Chapter 9: Texts and Their Context

But the Succubus' little family weren't the only ones who told little white lies and kept secrets, and the uncovering them would cause unforeseen, and bigger problems. It all started because young bachelors who have just moved in together aren't the best cooks…

 _ **Right Now, That is**_ _**\- The Next Morning….**_

It was long after the occupants of Mark and Vex's apartment had started their day when Bo finally awoke. Lauren was stirring and pulling her lover's arms off her body, mumbling sleepily about her phone ringing. As she pulled on her robe, her wife began to stretch and get out of bed as well; despite being assured it was all right if she stayed in bed and got some more sleep. "I don't hear your phone, Lauren. But I have to pee, anyways." Pulling on her own robe, Bo wondered how the human could hear her phone ringing from downstairs. _Must be a doctor thing…_

"Shit!" the Succubus said aloud as saw the time on the bedside alarm clock – it was just minutes from noon. Not seeing her own phone on the nightstand, she remembered it was dead and she had left it in her purse downstairs. First things first, she made her way to the bathroom to answer the call of nature, calling out to her wife to ask her to bring her phone upstairs.

Surprised Lauren hadn't returned when the Succubus re-entered the bedroom, she picked out some clothes and returned to the bathroom to shower. She was much more optimistic this morning, laughing and shaking her head about the strife between her and her sister, and how foolish it now seemed that they both let it fester for so long. _I've been acting like Trick, and she is acting like her mother. Scratch that - more like I did when I found out everyone was withholding information from me! Poor Vex and Mark - I wonder what kind of hell she put them through last night!_

 _ **The Hell She put Mark and Vex through, the night Before…**_

"'Bout time you answered the door. Kinda rude of you to leave your guest waiting behind a closed door." Dagny breezed into the apartment with the aire of a monarch scolding a neglectful footman. Once was fully into the room, she turned and commented on the Mesmer's attire, head cocked to one side, "Nice outfit, though. I see you dressed for company."

He was dressed like Officer Dangle from Reno 911, only in leather. His seething irritation at his uninvited guest coupled with his choice of clothes only made her snicker in response to his self-righteous tirade. "Rude? Let me tell you about rudeness: You know, if you show up uninvited, and get no answer to your phone calls or incessant pounding on the door, you should probably catch on that maybe, just maybe, your hosts don't **want** your company at the moment!" He slammed the door and stood with hands on his hips, inadvertently heightening the comedic affect.

It was Mark who laughed loudest at Vex. He was leaning against the doorjamb by the hall, still dressed in the t-shirt and jeans he had worn earlier in the evening, but had shed his boots and socks. "CALLED IT!" he smugly told his lover, then turned to their young guest, "Don't mind Vexie, Dagny, he just has a hard time accepting that I am right sometimes!" he padded over in his bare feet to the over-stylized couch and motioned the young Valkyrie to join him.

"I can't **believe** this!" Vex was beside himself with incredulity over his boyfriend's rebellion. His lover had, indeed accurately predicted that the Valkyrie would end up on their doorstep this evening. He ran his fingers through his extremely gelled hair, ruining the carefully sculpted coif, but finding a strong argument to kick the young intrusive fae out of their home during the pause, "Does your _**sister**_ know you're here…?" he began, cunningly.

"Yes, yes she does. I told her I was going to stay with you and Mark for awhile. My things are down in my truck." the young Valkyrie informed him after she sat down next to the shifter. Her voice was matter-of-fact, but her green eyes twinkled with self-satisfied victory.

"Oh no…no no no…" the Mesmer began, shaking his head with a hand held over his eyes. The announcement he had waited to give his boyfriend tonight was move to the back burner. And all the hard work and sacrifice he had done in order to be accepted by the family was evaporating quickly. _I'm_ _ **already**_ _on probation with Bo, since I am working with Evony and the Dark Fae council again!_ he thought as he dropped his hand to look to his boyfriend for support, and receiving none, moved on to a more detailed argument, directed at Mark. "NO! Tamsin asked **BO** to take care of her whelp, not us! Bo takes that promise _seriously,_ you know! And she will see this as a betrayal of her trust!"

"I know. Bo knows she's here, so she can stay. And I also know _why_ Tamsin asked Bo to raise her daughter…." Vex threw is hands up in a gesture encouraging him to explain his argument. "…and you know damn well know, too. She was dying, Vex, and probably wasn't thinking rationally at the time, emotions were **very** high…" They shared a knowing look, as Dagny (whose presence was seemingly forgotten) watched them both carefully without saying a word. They hadn't said anything definitive about her mother's history with the Succubus or the rest of the group, but she read the subtext like a textbook.

The ringing of Vex's cell phone on the kitchen table, or more accurately the ringtone loudly playing 'She Blinded me with Science' broke the silent tension. Vex grinned in triumph, knowing a rare call from Lauren could only mean an end to the impasse and make him guiltless in the return their young guest to her rightful home. "Oh, _sorry,_ love! But I have to take this!" he went into full sarcastic mode, assured that the doctor's call would serendipitously get him out of his crisis of conscience. He gave a little twirl and a smirk before heel stomping out of the room to answer the phone.

Knowing the Mesmer was probably right about the purpose of Lauren's call, Dagny turned to her ally on the couch and apologized, "I'm sorry – I don't want to involve you two in my drama. I just…I can't stay there anymore…at least not for awhile." She leaned over and hugged the young shifter next to her with one arm; it was a rare gesture he returned in kind. Resting her head on his shoulder, she continued honestly, "I think Bo is afraid that I will be a force of evil once I have control of all my powers."

"No…" he contradicted, "…she is afraid that other people might manipulate you to become someone evil. That's what Hades tried to do to her, and she is trying her best to stop that from happening to you." He said with a sigh, pecking a brief kiss on the top of her blonde head. "The world can be a dangerous place for a young fae born with a bounty on their head. Even if it was because of the sins of their fathers…" he trailed off, as thought of his own past.

"I know." She whispered. She affirmed his words of wisdom, knowing the young panther was speaking from his own experience. "She _has_ helped me stop using my power of doubt when I don't mean to. She's just too busy to help me train, and she doesn't feel like she would be able to anyway. But she can't even tell me what Valkyrie can do, since no one is really sure what all their powers are. And none of that will matter if I can't own all of my powers and I fail the Dawning."

He pulled her closer, and wrapped his other arm around her. The sat in silence for awhile, interrupted by Vex striding purposefully back into the room. He stood over the pair on the couch with his arms crossed. "Well, I don't know HOW you did it; but congratulations, Tamsin TOO point OOHHH! You have somehow got Dr. Hotpants on your side. You can stay here tonight." The pair of fae sitting on the couch shared a smile, which the Mesmer gleefully caused to disappear with a raised finger and caveat, "But ONLY for tonight. Your sister will come over tomorrow morning-" Dagny leaned towards him and out of Mark's embrace, mouth open to object. But he stopped her argument as he continued with authority, "-and YOU are NOT allowed to run off on your own until she talks with you tomorrow. That's the deal." His eyes darted back and forth between the pair, knowing his lover was sympathetic to cause of their young guest.

"Sure Unkie Vexie!" she gleefully agreed with scrunch of her nose, satisfied for now that she would be able to at least stay the night.

 _ **Right Now…**_

When Bo returned to the bedroom, Lauren was already there. "Oh, hey babe! I plugged your phone in for you." The doctor was busy getting her own clothes so she could start her day, but stopped to kiss her wife briefly. She smirked broadly, "Sorry I forgot your 'good morning kiss,' but I'm a little worn out after last night."

"It's OK, I forgive you!" Bo grinned, but soon grew concerned, "Is everything alright; who was on the phone?"

Lauren dropped her clothes on the bed and gathered her partner up into a loose hug, "Everything is fine – that was Vex. Balzac called him-" she saw the open mouthed look and fright in Bo's eyes so continued quickly, "-and Vex is taking him to the Dal to get the keys to Dyson's old place. Mark is taking Dagny out to lunch, so Balzac won't know she was at their apartment, and they'll meet us at the Dal after Vex and Balzac are gone."

"I missed Evony's appointment." The Succubus stated, "Vex didn't say anything about that?"

Lauren continued to get ready for work, "No, he didn't. He said Dagny has calmed down and is ready to talk with you. But he did say you should check your text messages. Before you run off 'half-cocked' – his words, not mine. Maybe that's a good idea."

After her wife kissed her again in passing, Bo sat on the bed and turned on her phone still plugged into the charger. There were several text notifications from Vex, Mark, Dyson, and Dagny. _Well, guess I'll start at the beginning…_

Vex: Fine, I'll take care of UR little sister tonight – but don't go spare if U disagree with my methods of parenting!

 _Maybe allowing her to stay with Vex wasn't such a good idea!_

 _ **Last Night…**_

Mark patted Dagny on the thigh as he rose, "I'll go get you a pillow and some blankets."

Mark: Dagny thinks U R afraid she will B evil when she gets her pwrs. She is afraid of failing the Dawning.

Now alone with the young blonde, Vex sighed and relaxed somewhat. She looked at him expectantly; she felt sure he something more he wanted to say to her. Instead he turned on one of his high-heeled shoes and marched into the kitchen. When he returned, he handed the blonde a bottle of beer. She stared at him in shock, but made no move to accept it until he grunted and gave her a nod. Alcohol was high on the list of the things Bo had forbidden her.

She took it from him with comment, but Mark had some words on the Mesmer's strange offer. "Seriously Vex?! You were so worried about what Bo would think if we let her stay here and now you are giving her beer!?" He dropped the bedclothes on the couch.

His lover merely shrugged as drank from his own beer. Finishing his drink with great relish, he addressed the two youngsters who continued to stare at him mutely. "What does it matter: In for a penny, in for a pound! Anyways, might help her get some sleep, we're going to have guests early in the morning."

"I guess she is old enough; she certainly looks it, anyway." Mark shrugged. Realizing she must have left her bag her truck, he offered to give her a t-shirt and shorts to sleep in, and left Vex alone with her.

Vex: I gave ur sister a beer. That's right, she needs one. Don't like it – come over and fetch her!

Dagny felt grateful for the support of the two Dark fae, even if it was somewhat reluctant on the part of the Mesmer. She took a drink of her beer, thinking it tasted somehow better now than it did the times she had drank it without permission. "I..um…thanks, Vex. I really appreciate this."

"Children get so _excited_ when they have a sleepover away from mummy and daddy for the first time!" he mocked as he spoke to her as if she were a small child. To add insult to injury, he tussled her hair – knowing full well that she hated people touching her hair even more than she did people treating her like a child.

"Hey …CUT IT OUT!" she nearly dropped her precious beer trying to avoid the unwanted attention. After she straightened her golden locks as best she could, she looked directly into his eyes and angrily demanded, "What the hell did you do that for?!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, don't you know how this works?" he crossed his arms as he stood over her.

"What…works?" she asked with a menacing look.

"Negotiations, diplomacy! We disagreed, I didn't like the way things were going, I used the fastest, easiest way I know to wind you up, then laugh as I take the piss out of you!" he laughed and then mused whimsically, "Quite simple, really…it's what we do – you and I, isn't it? Easier than letting people get close enough to hurt us." he concluded with a look that could easily be mistaken for fatherly love.

She continued to stare at him for a few seconds before the derivative meaning applied itself to her behavior towards her sister and she hung her head. "OK, I get it. You don't need to draw me a map or anything." She grumbled, but added looking up "But I'm not the only one traveling down this road; who is going to connect the dots for Bo?"

"Leave that to Lauren!" Mark walked up and tossed her some more comfortable clothes to sleep in, and stood next to the Mesmer, hands on hips and assured her, "She's the one person who can get through to Bo. And she was closest to your mother; they really bonded. She was the only one who could get your mother to do something she didn't want to!" Dagny stood up clutching her nightwear as the shifter began making her makeshift bed for her.

"OH, no! Bo could motivate that Valkyrie, to do _anything_!" Vex chimed in, oblivious to what exactly he was saying in his eagerness to get one over on his lover, "I mean, it was all too _easy_ for her since…" a look from his boyfriend stopped him, and he recovered quickly, "…since she is a Succubus and all. I mean – you're right though, Lauren, she has skills with interpersonal relationships, especially since…well, she's very educated in psychology, you see." He concluded lamely with a shrug.

"…and Lauren is better at dealing with people since Bo could easily sway Tamsin because my mother was madly in love with her, duh. So it only makes sense Lauren can influence Bo; they are madly in love with each other. I'm not as stupid as you think I am, and it doesn't take a genius to figure out where a conversation was heading when someone changes the subject out of the blue, every time they talk about Tamsin and Bo." Dagny added with an eyeroll and drank heartily from her beer.

Her hosts looked at her incredulously before turning on each other to both mutually accuse the other and deny passing that information on to their young guest, gesturing wildly at each other and her. _Took the piss out of both of them with that one, I guess. If that is what 'taking the piss' means, anyways, but looks about right._ She thought, but quickly put an end to the arguement. "Guys, GUYS!" she waited until she had their full attention, "I already know. I have known for a long time. Kenzi told me Tamsin loved Bo, and Bo loved Lauren. But she didn't elaborate; she said it was Bo's story to tell. The rest I worked out on my own. It was obvious from the awkwardness when Bo mentions my mother that my sister never did return that love. I was waiting for Bo to talk to me about it, but now I realize that will never happen. She **is** afraid of what will happen after my Dawning; because she thinks telling me 'Oh, by the way, I never loved your mother even though she was too in love with me to move on' might send me to the dark side." She rolled her eyes.

Both men stood in shocked silence, and Vex was the first to think of the obvious question, "Well Hells Bells, Dagny, why on earth didn't you TELL her! Would've saved the rest of us a lot of bother…" he shook his head with a hand on his forehead in relief that they hadn't broken their word to the Succubus, who made them promise to let her be the one to break the news to her sister. And it was quite apparent that he was in shock, since he actually used her given name, rather than one of his clever nick-names for her.

"Yeah, why **didn't** you say something before?" for the first time since her arrival, her erstwhile ally Mark was full agreement with his boyfriend, and crossed his arms to present a united front.

"Trust has to be _earned_ Mark. It isn't inherited. Tell me, either of you, if you don't believe that." _Please try to deny that you didn't trust your father when you first met, Mark._ When she received no answer, she continued with a shrug, "She doesn't trust me - I don't trust her."

"But she does love you! I'm sure Bo is worried sick about you and trying hard to find a way to tell you, and help you gain your powers!" the shifter defended the Succubus as his lover left the room mumbling about needing more alcohol.

Vex: WTF! THIS GIRL HAS SOME SERIOUS BAGGAGE!

Dagny sat on her partially made bed for the night and turned her attention to arranging the sheets and pillow while informing them, "And I am equally sure my sister is too busy right now to bother with me, just like any other day. Cases, and Lauren, potential Jack sightings, and Lauren, and more cases, and Lauren…."

Mark interrupted sternly, pointing at her with one hand "Hey, you can't blame Lauren for your problems with your sister! She-"

"I **don't** blame Lauren!" she interjected and snapped her eyes under furrowed brows to the young panther's own. The authority and conviction they conveyed stopped the argument he was about to give voice to, and made him drop his accusing hand. Realizing she over-emphasized her denial, she softened her tone, "Lauren's great, she's more like an older sister to me than Bo is. I only wish…" she paused not knowing how to continue. Vex returned with more beers and helped her out.

" **I** wish you would put your Big Girl pants on and **tell** your sister what you have told us tonight. If it is obvious to you that she won't be the first one to jump in the deep end, and you are so bad-ass, you should be the one to do it. _Then_ your sister might see you as an equal. You said it; trust has to be earned, after all! And the rest of us can stop tip-toeing around the subject! Assuming everything you said wasn't bollocks!" Vex finished plopping two beers down on the coffee table then drank from the one he kept for himself.

"Damn you sounded **just** likeTamsin right now!" Mark grinned at him, reaching for his own beer.

" _Really?!_ That's what I was going for!" they clinked bottles and took a drink, then looked to their flabbergasted guest.

Dagny sat with her mouth agape, knowing from what others had said of her mother that Mark was probably right.

"Oh, except the bollocks part." Mark continued wiping some escaped foam from his mouth, "Tamsin would have said-"

"-bullshit. She would have called me out on my bullshit." Dagny finished his thought, finding her voice now that she had stumbled her way into a forthright and honest conversation about her family and circumstance.

"So just to make sure we are all playing from the same sheet of music; you are going to stay here tonight….you are going to wait for your sister to get here…you are going to talk to Bo, tell her everything, and keep a CIVIL tongue…and then you are going to LISTEN to what she has to tell you."

She quietly and without sarcasm intoned an affirmative answer to each of his demands. "And after that?" she asked quietly of him.

"After that, I guess all of us can talk about what your options are, and I'm sure Vex and I will support your decisions, no matter what Bo says." Mark offered. When she smiled affectionately at the pair of them, he suddenly remembered she had left his father's apartment before she had eaten. "Hey let me get you something to eat, you go change, then we can watch a movie before bedtime! Shouldn't drink on an empty stomach!" he turned to the Mesmer, "Vex, you in?"

Dagny: Sorry abt tonite. I dnt mean 2 blame U. We can talk 2morrow.

"Yeah, I don't think this is what 'Netflix and Chill' is supposed to mean from my understanding, but why not. I'll change as well. Just might be a bit _overdressed_ for the occasion." He scrunched his nose at the young Valkyrie in an exaggerated manner, and she mimicked the expression back at him, before he walked out of the room.

"Vex?" she asked before he disappeared from view.

"Yyyesss?" he paused and asked without turning around.

"I know what you did, tonight. Well played. Maybe my mother should have asked you to raise me." Dagny told him sincerely.

This got his full attention, and he turned his head to tell her sorrowfully over his shoulder, "Yea, well I have had some _experience_ taking care of a kid. I loved the little bastard but – it didn't turn out so well. I'll tell you about it, some other time." He hurried off before she could press the issue.

Mark: Had long talk w/Dagny she wants 2 talk w/U abt it. Pls hear her out.

Dagny: Going 2 bed. The guys trust me enuff 2 let me drink beer; can U pls trust me 2?

Vex: She sang like a CANARY! Why can't U 2 get on?

Mark: About the Beer, Vex gave it 2 her not me. : D

Dagny: I honestly think I'd starve 2 death if I lived w/them. :-!

 _ **Right Now…**_

" _Those little…shits!"_ Bo hissed aloud, but giggled despite herself. Just as her phone rang, Lauren hurried back into the room. Still she wasn't really angry, since Lauren had already assured her everything was fine this morning. Before she could read more or tell her wife what she had just read, her phone rang. Dyson was calling.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: In answer to a review question - It seems fairly obvious to me Laruen knew Bo was rolling in the sheets with Tamsin. She made it clear to Lauren she was going for the Succubus. And from Dyson's looks at Bo, and the little talk with Tamsin the night of the storm, he did too. He pretty much said he knew they slept together. I kind of got the feeling neither Bo nor Tamsin told either of them (since Bo never even mentioned it to Tamsin during their little talk,) but they figured it out. I've been around long enough to have been in Tamsin's, Bo's, Dyson's and Lauren's shoes in this situation at different times. Except the fae part. People get good at reading your behavior and expressions when they are close to you, believe that. As for Bo's romp with Persephone and Mark – no, I don't think anyone else knows. They weren't in love with her and seemed content to let it go. I won't say anything more about that right now. Thanks for reading. Copyright caveat stuff, don't intend to infringe.**

Dawning of a Valkyrie

Chapter 10: New Actors and New Drama

 _ **Right Now…**_

" _Those little_ _ **…shits!"**_ Bo hissed aloud, but giggled despite herself as Lauren hurried back into the room, eager to get to her clinic. Still, the Succubus wasn't really angry, since Lauren had already assured her everything was fine this morning. Before she could read more or tell her wife what she had just read, her phone rang. Dyson was calling.

"Dyson! What's been going on?" she answered the call, hoping he would have more information about what her sister was up to the night before, and right now.

He chuckled a bit at her barely disguised concern, "Nothing, Bo – everything is fine! Mark called me this morning, and filled me in on Dagny's little sleepover. He said Vex has knocked some sense into her; I'm sure he didn't mean it literally. Vex and Balzac are on their way here, to the Dal. Mark took Dagny to get something to lunch, since Balzac invited himself to the apartment to meet before they headed over."

She groaned, "Aawww, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to sleep so late!"

"Hhmmm, I guess you were…busy last night."

"Dyson…"

"Well, got to go – it's getting reeaalllyyy **busy** in here! Oh, hey Vex said you should check your texts and voicemail! Dagny really wants to talk with you." He hung up, not waiting for a reply.

Lauren had been watching her wife as she finished gathering her things for work, "Everything alright Bo?" she asked as she fastened her wristwatch.

The Succubus smiled up at her wife from the bed. "Everything is great!"

 _ **Earlier That Morning…**_

"Wakey, wakey! Rise and shine, show a leg – the weather's fine!" Vex's lound and chirpy sing-song voice announced the arrival of morning. And when his young guest only groaned and rolled over to face the back of the couch, he opened the window blinds to let in some sunlight. He and Mark hadn't gotten around to shopping for curtains yet. "Oh bollocks, maybe the weather isn't so fine." It was cloudy, and dark red tinged thunderheads partially blocking the sunrise threatened rain. Clad in a short black silk robe and furry slippers, he walked over to the couch and shook the young blonde on the shoulder, "Hope you packed an umbrella in your truck, and if you did – best go get it now! Your sister should be here soon."

The only decipherable answer she gave was an arm thrown back blindly to push him off, as the sounds coming out of her mouth sounded more akin to Frankenstein's monster coming to life than any known language. Just then, Mark walked yawning into the room, very bachelor-esque in his boxers and white tank top euphemistically referred to as a wife-beater. He ignored the other two as he strode bare-footed through the living room and straight to the coffee maker in the kitchen.

Vex was determined to wake the young Valkyrie, though, and continued his assault on her desired continued slumber. But he did take a step back, just in case, as he leaned over and loudly said, "SORRY, didn't catch that! I don't speak lazy slag! Try again in ENGLISH!" She pulled the pillow over her head in a futile attempt to ignore her host. But he was in no mood to be ignored, and his response was to use his Mesmer powers to make her throw off the pillow, roll over, and sit up before he released her.

"Vex, how could you?! **No one** has ever-" she would have been angrier if she wasn't so shocked.

"Used their fae powers on you – I know. You have been under the protective umbrella of your _loving_ sister all these years. Well, guess what? If you want to be free of her rules, you need to learn that freedom comes at a price! You will have to learn to fend for yourself. And trust isn't the only thing you have to earn. _Respect_ has to be earned, as well. That's your second lesson." The Mesmer strode out of the room without waiting for a retort.

The shifter almost immediately appeared in her line of vision as soon as Vex left it, setting a coffee mug on the table in front of her. "Sorry, he's kinda grumpy first thing in the morning. I usually let him have a shower and coffee before I talk to him. But he's right, Bo will be over soon and you need to get up."

"No, it's not…it's OK…" she took the offered beverage with a grim smile and sipped it carefully. "I'm not a morning person myself. I understand." She leaned forward and cupped the warm mug with both hands as she mused, "It's not fun to be controlled like that, but at least I know what it's like now. I'm kinda pissed at him for doing it, but at the same time I'm glad he did it, you know. Now I know what a powerful fae attack feels like. Next time, maybe I can try to fight back. Do you think he would try again so I can try to stop him this time? That would be some real training for me!" she asked hopefully, eyebrows raised so high they disappeared into her blonde disheveled hair.

Mark sipped his own coffee before he answered, giving himself time to mull over what she had asked. He grinned, "OK, I will!" her face lit up with joy that he interrupted, "But FIRST, you have that talk with your sister. Once you two clear the air between you, we can move forward."

" **Deal**!" she readily agreed. Her face fell as she remembered the reason Bo was so reluctant to allow her to try to use her powers, which she voiced openly now in the spirit of trust and full disclosure they had already established, "You guys aren't…afraid I might, you know, lose control? Like…when I lived with Kenzi? Or become Dark Queen 2.0?"

"We trust you, Dagny. Now go down to your truck and get some clean clothes and an umbrella if you brought one. Vex should be out of the shower soon, and you can go next. I'll make us some breakfast." the young panther bounded back towards the kitchen hurriedly, leaving his guest wondering what possible delicacies he had in store for her. He didn't see the sour face she made at the thought of eating another meal he cooked. She at least gave him the curtsey of waiting until his back was turned before expressing her disgust with her facial features at the prospect. _Last night, he gave me a half-frozen Hot Pocket and burned the microwave popcorn…Aaawww hell, might as well go get some clothes and get this over with._

After a breakfast of burnt frozen waffles (Mark had tried to prepare them under the broiler to cook them faster) they amused themselves with a game of Cards Against Humanity as they waited for Bo to arrive, or at least call. As the rain began to fall outside and the hour crept closer to noon, Mark excused himself to prepare lunch. Once they were alone on the couch, Dagny suggested they go out for lunch. She couldn't bear the thought of another meal of Mark's cuisine.

"I promised your mother you would stay here until she got here, and you promised as well." Vex firmly informed her.

"She's – _**not**_ – my _mother!"_ Dagny spat out with vitriol. Just as she had a talent for getting Bo's goat, Vex was a master thief of goats, her's and everyone else's really. He was a smart-ass in the classic sense – having no offensive content filter between what he was thinking and what he actually said aloud. But despite his constant teasing and irritation of her, she respected him for it.

"My mistake, I was confused because you act like Bo _is_ your mother." He offered an apology dripping with sarcasm.

"Only because she treats me like her child!" the Valkyrie defended her behavior half-heartedly.

"Right, Pro Tip: if you are cast in a role you don't like – don't accept it! But you did, and are playing the part so _brilliantly_ everyone acts accordingly, especially Bo. And that is Lesson number 3!" he grinned.

The young blonde was suddenly struck by the inherent truth behind his words, and wondered why the Mesmer, whom the rest of the group regarded as a loveable yet irritating imp, wasn't taken seriously as an advisor. "How did you get so wise?" she asked in honest curiosity.

He surprised her with an honest answer, instead of the expected sarcasm, "Yesss…well, I really can't take credit for that one– I learned that from your sister's grandfather, Trick. He tried to teach me that, but I didn't listen and had to learn the **hard** way. People…died…" he trailed off and stared at his lap, regretful at the thought of how he failed to raise Massimo right, and the death toll it caused. He even felt partially to blame for Tamsin's death, given the Druid's part in making the potion that marked Bo.

"Thank you, Vex." She reached across the couch and grabbed both of his hands, continuing warmly once he raised his eyes to meet hers, "Thank you for teaching me Lesson Number 4 – learn from the mistakes of others."

He smiled at her with affection, thinking helping the young fae orphan might navigate the turbulent waters of fae puberty might be a small penance for his own mistakes, until faint wisps of smoke and a loud beeping from the kitchen distracted him, "What the bloody hell…oh…not again!" he groaned, pulling his hands from hers and grabbing his head in frustration.

"DON'T WORRY! JUST A LITTLE WELL DONE!" Mark shouted a not so re-assuring explanation from the kitchen. As the pair in the living room remained motionless and silent, they could easily hear the sound of a fire extinguisher being discharged.

She began her quest for food again, "I have a lesson or two for you, Number One – you can't change the past, only the future. And our future lunch is looking pretty shitty. Number Two, you shouldn't take every promise literally, as long as you honor the spirit of its intention. And I don't intend to run away – only to get something _edible to_ eat." She concluded with a stern expression.

Vex gave her a tight lipped frown, trying to think of a witty retort when Mark strode into the room and offered apologetically, "Uh, maybe we should order in?"

Vex's cell phone's 'Loser' ringtone interrupted and informed him that Balzac was calling again, so the Mesmer left quickly to take the call in private. No sense in risking anyone else knowing the Valkyrie was here, if the Spriggen was attempting to give her the invitation to The Dawning.

The Valkyrie laughed at the young shifter, and motioned him into the room. Seated next to each other, they looked through local restaurant websites on their phones, trying to find one they both agreed on that would also deliver to the apartment.

"Change of plans, you're eating out for lunch. Grab your thing and go! Balzac is on his way over to meet with me. He hung up on me before I could tell him no." _Not that the little bastard_ _ **ever**_ _takes no for an answer._ Vex thought as he rushed back into the room, and when the pair on the couch didn't react immediately to his sense of urgency, he picked Dagny's keys up off the coffee table and tossed them to Mark with the instructions, "You're driving – go NOW! I'll call you after I get rid of him, and I'll explain everything to Bo and Dyson."

The reality of what he was trying to tell them set in and they rushed to put on their shoes and get their jackets, the young Valkyrie's own till damp and smelling strongly of Febreeze after her attempt to clean it. Mark nearly tripped over an untied shoelace in his haste and stumbled against the blonde as they rushed out the door, and Vex shook his head and dialed the Succubus. His heartfelt wish that she wouldn't pick up the phone fulfilled, he left a brief message explaining what had happened before he hung up and called Lauren.

In the truck, after a brief discussion over exactly where they should go for lunch, Dagny and Mark agreed to a local buffet so that they could both eat whatever they wanted. The shifter had originally, and sensibly suggested they return to Bo and Lauren's – but after the young Valkyrie pointed out they had no way of knowing if the pair were even home or were too 'busy' to answer their phones, they might as well get something to eat first.

They made a brief stop at a car wash on the way, the passenger complaining that the sticky goo coating the floorboards of the passenger side of the truck irritated her. He laughingly agreed, but kept a sharp eye out as they were parked in the bay of the carwash. She wasted no time cleaning up the mess she caused, but still grumbled that the clumsiness of the shifter had allowed the sodas to spill in the first place. Ten minutes later, they were back on the road.

As the young man pulled the truck into the parking lot, he was already regretting their choice of restaurant – the place was packed, judging by the amount of cars parked outside. _Glad I brought my badge and gun, just in case. What am I thinking, Balzac is with Vex, and there hasn't been any hint of bounty hunters getting close to Dagny in the colony. Still, I can't shake this feeling…_ he thought as he parked the truck. Apparently very hungry, Dagny meticulously ticked off exactly what and how much she was going to eat as she unbuckled her seat belt and got out of the truck, ignorant of his current mood. Unmoving since he shut off the engine, Mark called out to her before she could shut the passenger door, "DAGNY!

"WHAT?!" she paused and asked in irritation. Her stomach had been growling for some time.

"Just…keep an eye out for trouble, OK?" Mark explained.

"HA! It's right here! 'Trouble' is my middle name!" she smirked back at him. When he frowned back at her, she told him what he wanted to hear, "Ok, Ok, I'll stay frosty. Jeez, did anyone ever tell you you sound like your father?!" She mumbled with a roll of her entire head and slammed the door, but waited patiently despite the drizzling rain for him to exit the vehicle so they could enter the restaurant together.

He was right – it was busy and crowded. They waited in the winding line, and although Mark's sense of smell wasn't on par with Dyson's, he could tell there were many fae queued up with them. His trepidation seemed baseless, there was no sign anything was amiss until they reached the area were they got their trays and ordered drinks. There was no to take their order, and so they waited while the group of men in front of them moved forward, Mark suddenly taking note they didn't get a tray or anything to drink. He came close to suggesting they leave, but a manager appeared out of nowhere and apologized. The waitress scheduled to work the station called in late for work, he explained as he filled their order.

When they caught up to the group ahead of them, they heard the trio of men interrogating the poor cashier. "Please, sirs, just pay for a meal or leave the restaurant. I'm sure she'll be here any time now!" the slightly out of sorts young waitress pleaded.

Everything happened quickly after that. Dagny was frozen in place; the cashier's uniform sent her mind reeling from thoughts of delicious food to find out why her clothes were so important. One of the men bared fangs, tipping his hand that he was a fae of some kind. Mark, ever the police officer, stepped in to stop the situation escalating by showing his badge to all and sundry. The strange fae backed off the cashier, but began an argument with Mark over who had authority and jurisdiction in this matter. Some of the diners moved to see what was going on, as the manager announced his intention to call the police and hurried for a back office. Then one of the trouble maker's cadre noticed the young girl with the fae police officer and struggled to be heard above the din. The only thing he shouted that Dagny could hear clearly was "Valkyrie," and then all hell broke loose.

As the original trio of trouble-makers took the confrontation with Mark to the physical level, a pair from the curious on-looking diners jumped into the fray. The shabbily dressed male pulling off one of Mark's attackers, the olive-skinned female more smartly clad in tight jeans and fashionable V-necked blouse made a beeline for Dagny. She slapped the phone the Valkyrie was about to use deftly out of her hands and grabbed hold of one wrist in one expert movement. The young blonde felt a warm in her arm and inhaled sharply. She heard Mark shout to her to get out of there as he partially shifted, but felt unable to move and stared at the intense black eyes staring back at her. "Hey sugar!" the woman beamed at her. Suddenly, and inexplicably, her captor released her and fell limply to the floor, eyes rolling back into her head before closing.

And then she was there - the Valkyrie from the day before, right in front of her eyes, grabbing her by the shoulders and looking directly into her eyes. "You heard him, Sister, we have to leave – NOW!" She was wearing the same uniform as the cashier, although hers was soaking wet and wasn't buttoned up, showing the tank top she was wearing under it. For some reason, Dagny's eyes searched for a name tag instead of moving or saying anything. There wasn't one, and from the unkempt appearance of the woman she deduced it was because she _was_ the drink station waitress who was late for work. But her brief hesitation didn't last as the mystery woman's the skin around her eyes grew dark and she suggested, "I think you REALLY want to leave with me right _**now**_."

And so she did, immediately and without a word out the door with the rest of the panicking customers out into the parking lot. _Of course I want to leave with her; I wanted to look for her later anyways. I wanted to ask her to help me. But, there was something else…I shouldn't go, but I can't remember why…I promised…who, what did I promise?_ Jumping hastily into the familiar topless truck in the now steadily falling rain, the young blonde's savior cursed the truck and its former owner trying to start the protesting motor. Dagny noticed the girl was using a screwdriver instead of a key to turn the ignition. She sat silently as the motor finally roared to life and a puff of grey smoke, thinking about everything except why she was in the vehicle in the first place. As they screeched out of the parking lot and onto the surface streets, she finally was able to speak. "I think you have oil leaking into the cylinders. You should look into replacing your piston rings."

The driver laughed at her and shook her head. Once she deemed it safe enough not to speed or run through anymore stop signs or red lights, she looked at her passenger and apologized. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to use that much juice on you, honey. But it's been a long time. And I really didn't think you'd fall that easily! No easy feat to doubt another Valkyrie!" she seemed overly proud of herself.

"You're a Valkyrie." It wasn't a question.

"I **am**." She said as the light turned green as they were on their way at more sensible speed.

"Are you talking me to Valhalla?" Dagny asked, not sure she would be able to attempt to escape if she was.

"What? Why would I do that? Seriously, WTF? What could you possibly have done that was gruesome enough to piss off Acacia? She certainly has a lot of blood on _her_ hands. So spill it, I don't know you, but surely you know who I am!" the driver seemed incredulous and slightly irritated. _Wow! I must really have more mojo than I knew I did!_ She thought, _This girl is totally messed up right now!_

"I'm Dagny. I…I'm only ten years old." She tried to think rationally about whether or not she should divulge any information to the strange sister Valkyrie, but blurted it out anyways. She was still confused by the doubt attack earlier.

"Nope, doesn't ring a bell. You MUST have re-gained SOME of your memories after ten years….Unless…oh ho ho! So…you are a first birth baby! Somebody fell in love and got knocked up!" the mysterious Valkyrie concluded in a sing-song voice, and was laughing now at the thought to the irritation of her young passenger.

Starting to gain control of her faculties, Dagny firmly stated "We should go back. Mark is in trouble!"

The Valkyrie behind the wheel turned and frowned at her suggestion, "Why? It's not him they are after - it's _me_. Or it could be YOU. Or more likely **BOTH** of us! Those people didn't seem to be working with each other. I bet they are probably looking for us right now. And don't ask me _why_ they are after you; I don't even know why they are after _me_. I cut my hair, after all." She turned back to watch where she was driving in time to stop the rust bucket from drifting into another lane, "Anyways, the cops should be there already, and I'm pretty sure some of those guys after us _were_ cops." She paused, giving her argument time to sink in past the confusion in her new friend's mind, "And your friend _did_ tell you to run."

"Where ARE you taking me?" the younger blonde in curiosity.

"To my place – don't worry. It's safe for now. I never put my real address on a job application. I move around a lot. In fact, I've only just came back to this colony." She sighed, turning into a street leading to a dilapidated and nearly completely abandoned industrial area. Looking once again at her young passenger she informed her, "And this isn't my first rodeo. These bounty hunters, or whoever they are, have tried to visit me at other places I worked before. I was a little careless today, being hung-over and late after all."

Carefully driving down a narrow alley, she drove into a roofless burned-out skeleton of a factory. But just before they exited she stopped the vehicle, looking carefully behind and ahead of them through the vehicle doorway, the steel roll-up doors long since scavenged by metal scrappers. She left the engine running, but muscled the stubborn gearshift into neutral then turned to look at her passenger.

"What-" the girl began.

"I want to make sure we aren't being followed, by those thugs or any of your friends." She looked at her passenger with suspicion.

"My friends? They…they aren't the ones after you. They don't even think you are really a Valkyrie when I told them I saw you yesterday." Dagny got the distinct impression the strange woman thought this was some elaborate trap.

"OK, but tell me – have you seen or heard of any other Valkyrie in the colony since you have been here?" she inquired earnestly.

"No, not in the five years I've been here. I've NEVER even seen another Valkyrie, other than you."

"Damn it! I was hoping she would be back by now…of course she would be pissed I _'borrowed'_ her truck." She began mumbling to herself, "Great, now what do I do, I was counting on her help…" something must have clicked in her mind because her mood brightened as she asked her new 'sister' another series of questions. "Hey, do you know the Succubus, Bo?'" she received a nod of affirmation. "Are you two close?" another nod. "Great! She's a detective after all, next best thing!" After another quick look around she pushed in the clutch , put the car in gear and roared out of the factory.

Dagny was still struggling to organize her thoughts after enduring her first three fae attacks in her life, all happening in one day. She wasn't sure if she should trust the strange Valkyrie, and her sister's warnings about their mysterious and self-serving motives came rushing back to mind. _Oh gods, no! It can't be true – she can't be referring to Tamsin! I never heard Bo or anyone mention any other Valkyrie in the colony other than Tamsin, Freya, Acacia, and…shit! What was her name – she tried to kill Lauren…?_ She decided the best course of action was to let her companion do most of the talking, which she seemed wont to do, anyways.

As they wound through the area, sometimes through empty lots instead of streets, the driver droned on mindlessly, "If I can't find Tamsin – Bo will surely know where she is. But – Hello! She's not going to help me, so I need you to ask her for me! I mean, I did try to kill the Hot Doctor – but HEY! Orders are orders, right! You can't just defy the Mistress of Valhalla! Well, Tamsin did – and after I failed Freya and got banished, I defied her, too - to help _**Tamsin**_! So…you know… that bitch _owes_ me! She'll forgive me for stealing her truck, right?!" She stopped the truck in front of an old boarded up service station that looked as if it were built in the 1950's. "Open the door, will ya?"

Her passenger got out and dutifully lifted the creaking roll up door and allowed the Valkyrie to drive Tamsin's truck into the bay. Once the engine was turned off, she shut it without being told and walked over to the driver's side of the vehicle. She waited for the strange blonde to further explain her plans, which she did without a verbal nudge. "OK, first – let's get cleaned up and wait for the storm to blow over. Then we can go see the Succubus, since you owe me for saving you. Once we find Tamsin, you can go back to your friends. That's how things work with us." Not waiting for a reply, she turned back to the truck and stroked the hood affectionately. "I'm sure she's gonna want you back, baby. I'm gonna miss you!"

 _This woman isn't sharp enough to work for an ice water merchant in Hell; no way can she be an agent for anyone of importance. Not if they value success, anyways. Might as well throw a card on her play, she pretty much showed me her whole hand without even raising the stakes._ "Stacey." The driver whirled to face Dagny with her mouth hanging open, allowing her guest to continue, "You can keep the truck…Tamsin's dead. She was my mother."


	11. Chapter 11

Dawning of a Valkyrie

Chapter 11: Enter the Villainess…Maybe

Bo burst through the double doors to Evony's office like a boss, leaving the ineffectually protesting receptionist to awkwardly shuffle behind in her high heels and far too restrictive grey pencil skirt. The Morrigan seemed legitimately surprised as the sopping wet Succubus rudely marched between her two seated guests and slammed her palms on the desk demanding, "WHERE IS SHE!"

Instead of addressing the furious Succubus, the Morrigan turned to her frightened associates and spoke to them politely, and in Japanese, "Gomen nasi." She rose with a slight bow, using the action to smooth her fashionable yet very tight red dress, and looked to her assistant, who had finally managed to catch up to the intruder stuttering out apologies to her boss. "Gretchen, it's fine. We're done here; please escort these gentlemen out." She gestured towards the door looking at the men and said, "Dozo." with another slight dip of her head. They rose and returned her gesture leaving hastily, glancing over their shoulders at the seething brunette. Bo's reputation evidently reached even across oceans.

Bo was impressed despite herself with the professionalism of the Morrigan, and waited silently while the others left. Once the doors clicked closed, Evony sat down calmly and finally addressed the angry Succubus, "I WOULD ask you to sit down, but I know you buck authority and do whatever you please." She leaned back in her chair and waited for the coming tirade, her congenial attitude disappearing with her former guests.

"Where…is…DAGNY?!" Bo reiterated, still leaning over the desk glaring at the leader of the Dark fae.

"Your pet Valkyrie?" Evony seemed puzzled. "Ok, now I will tell you that you might as well sit down, for your own good. This may take awhile, as I try to work out exactly _why_ you are asking **me** where she is."

But analyzing the situation logically, Bo couldn't have reached a different conclusion given the facts she already knew.

 _ **Not very much earlier that day…**_

"Hey Bo! Lauren working today?" Dyson greeted her as she strode into the bar. The lunch crowd was dispersing, and now was as good a time as any to get down to business.

"So…is Balzac here to give Dagny her invitation to The Dawning, or not?" she got right to the most imperative question immediately as she caught the pro-offered beer he slid across the bar.

"No, at least not according to him. He said the Una Mens chose who would initiate the Invitation to The Dawning. Once they were…gone - The Interim Inter-Clan council has appointed new fae for those duties." He placed both hands against the bar and leaned on them, arms extended.

"I see." She sat down and sipped her beer thoughtfully. The council had evolved to take over the duties of the Una Mens after the chaos of their death, by her hands. But it was a slow process, and not all fae recognized their authority in the wake of the political upheaval she had caused by allowing Hades to manipulate her. "Is it the same Balzac, and do you believe him?"

"Yes, same little spriggen you described, as far as I know. He told me to give you and Tamsin his regards. I didn't tell him anything, you know, just to be sure. But I do believe him; he even lost his other job at the Dark fae home as well." Dyson assured her.

The Succubus turned her beer mug around idly, "Oh, well I'm sorry about that. But I'm still worried."

"I'm convinced he's telling the truth. And he really seemed to have found his calling. He even tried to make some deals with me! A lot has changed over the past ten years." The shifter gave her a not-so-subtle nudge, hinting at his desire for her to assume a more active leadership role in the community. He signaled his earnestness with his body language as well, dropping an elbow he rested his chin in his hand.

"Yes, a lot has changed." She agreed, not wanting to start an argument with her former lover. "But some things never change." She smiled at him fondly and he returned the favor, both happy to share a warm moment.

"Oh, that must be Mark." He stood up abruptly as his cell phone on the counter behind the bar vibrated.

"'Bout time! You guys on your way?...What!...How could…" Bo took note of the alarm in the bar keeper's voice and stood up as well, listening intently to catch whatever she could of the conversation. "…Ok…I'll tell her…right. Call me back and let me know."

He ran a hand through his hair before he turned around to face the Succubus who was waiting impatiently for him to tell her what his son had told him. "Mark and Dagny were attacked by a group of fae at Duff's Buffet. Mark fought with them, but someone abducted Dagny. They got away, and the manager is pulling up surveillance footage so he can send me pictures of the suspects." He started heading downstairs to the office, motioning one of his waitresses to take over behind the bar.

Bo followed, cursing and pulling her own phone out. First she called Dagny and got no answer, just as she expected. Next, Lauren. She paced the office as she waited for her wife to pick up. Dyson was too busy to pay her any mind, logging in to his computer and pulling up his email without bothering to sit down.

After the fifth ring, the doctor answered the call – much to Bo's relief. She stopped and sat down on the couch. "Lauren, are you at work? Is everything all right?!"

"Of course. Bo what's wrong?" the panic in the Succubus voice was contagious, and the doctor's voice reflected that fact.

Dyson's phone rang, and he answered with one hand as he continued to work the keyboard with the other. "Talk to me."

"Lauren, Dagny is missing! She and Mark were attacked!"

Dyson looked up and addressed Bo, beginning a four-way conversation, "Mark's sending some uniforms to Lauren's clinic!"

"No, no – stay there! Mark's sending some officers over…I don't know-"

"Mark says one of the responding officers recognizes one of the men." Dyson called out loudly.

"Who is it?" Bo asked.

"He is a Dark fae badger shifter – and he is former police detective working for Evony." The wolf sighed.

 _ **Right now, in Evony's Office…**_

"Allow me to clear that up for you!" The Succubus pulled five photos from her leather jacket and tossed them on the desk. "These people tried to abduct Dagny today; someone actually succeeded. Do you deny they work for you?"

Evony leaned forward, and seemed to recognize at least some of the faces. She moved three of the photos off to the side, "These men work for me. They are on a special assignment that has NOTHING to do with you, Tamsin's daughter, or anyone else in your Succubus Worship cult. The other two I don't know – but I think the woman works for the Inter-Clan Council. Who knows what they are up to!"

"Are you trying to tell me you **didn't** send them to nab Dagny because I failed to attend your little meeting?"

"No, I am _telling_ you I didn't send them to snatch Dagny **at all**!"

"I don't believe you." Bo crossed her arms.

"That HURTS! After all we've been through? So I'm assuming you won't let me to help the poor girl pass her Dawning, either." she cynically stated, and pursed her lips. Instead of furthering the conversation, she pressed the intercom button on her phone and spoke to the person on the other end. "Get my head of security in here NOW! And have him bring the Archivist and the Light fae witness!"

" _Yes ma'am! Um, should I send in the last person wanting to revoke his contract!"_ came the answer through the speaker.

The Morrigan smiled wickedly, she had forgotten about him. "Why not, we can have a little reunion!"

"I don't know what you are up to…" Bo began, her mind reeling trying to work out what kind of mischief the Morrigan was planning.

"I am UP to here with dealing with you. So I am ready to cut you loose – no strings attached. Just the way you like it, I hear!" Despite trying her best to convince Bo of her innocence in the apparent abduction of the Valkyrie, she couldn't resist a little jab at the feeding habits of Succubi. Her tone was serious, though, as she explained herself. "The men you accuse of trying to kidnap your sister are fae police in a special investigation unit tracking down a thief. A thief who stole a powerful weapon that important people want back, very badly. The other two I don't know, talk to the Inter-Clan Council. But you may want to consider the possibility that Dagny has simply run away from you, **again!** " She pushed the pictures back to Bo and leaned back in her chair as the door opened and an entourage of fae entered the office, led by a familiar hulking beast of a man in an expensive tailored black suit.

"Bruce!" Bo exclaimed in surprise and joy, but her expression dropped into a frown matching the look the man shot at her. She knew then she was mistaken, but he corrected her anyways.

"It's Steve, ma'am." He stepped aside to allow the others to enter the room and shut the door behind them, standing diligently at parade rest to await further instructions. But Bo didn't notice that, she was in shock at the sight of another blast from the past behind the bald Archivist.

"Ryan?"

"Bo?"

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

"No SHIT!" Stacey exclaimed eyes wide in disbelief. "I didn't think Tamsin would get over the Succubus! Wow! She must have found one hell of a man to fall in love with! Who is he?" she asked slyly, nudging her shoulder against her companion's as she crossed her arms in curiosity.

Dagny shook her head, "Doesn't matter, he's not in my life. I've never met him. Love will get you killed, right?" she wasn't ready to divulge all of her secrets to a stranger. _Trust_ _ **does**_ _have to be earned. I'll just take a page from Bo's book and re-direct…_ "What did you want from my mother?"

The short haired Valkyrie's eyes narrowed, the realization that she had unthinkingly revealed far more about herself than her new mysterious sister had done making her suspicious. In her amazement and curiosity she had momentarily forgotten that the Valkyrie whose help she sought was dead, and now that the realization sunk in she was bitter. Arms more firmly crossed now, she asked, "Why should I tell you? You can't help me; you're just a baby fae!" Her voice was filled with contempt born of disappointment. She scowled and turned away before she slammed a fist down on the hood of her precious International Scout in frustration, immediately soothing it with by rubbing it affectionately as if it were her child she had accidently struck. Turning back she explained, "Once I knew you weren't after me, I only needed you to help me find Tamsin."

The baby fae let the insult slide and baited her host expertly, "Well, my mother owes you. Doesn't that mean that I inherit her debt? Besides, I owe you, too. And if I can't help you - I can convince Bo to help you."

"Uh, I **seriously** doubt that!" she rolled her eyes.

"I know -that's gonna have to be some hella convincing, since I hear you tried to kill the woman she loves. The woman she is **married** to now. But, I think I can swing it. I live with them." Dagny smirked, and gave Stacey a quick wink she knew would be misinterpreted by the Valkyrie. After all, Bo was a Succubus in need of regular 'feeding' and Lauren was human – everyone knew that.

"You…slut! Alright…we'll go see Bo. And then I'll tell _her_ what I want." Her suspicions were not assuaged by the argument of her young guest given that she herself was the first one to name drop the Succubus. _Tamsin and Bo didn't seem to get along too well last time I saw them together – why would she raise her daughter? And surely this girl cannot be that ignorant of Valkyrie if she is living with Bo…_ Her mood however did get more cheery, "C'mon, let's get cleaned up." Just then a flash and almost immediate loud clap of thunder that shook the building informed them the storm outside was intensifying. She jumped closer to her companion at the sound, " Ohh…I don't think we're going anywhere for a while…"

 _ **Evony's Office…**_

Ryan and Bo shared an awkward moment after she moved forward to get a closer look at him; he moved to hug her – she to shake his hand. They both paused, and switched intentions. Another pause and then the Loki settled on a light clap on the shoulder. "Good to see ya!" he smiled.

"Uh, yeah! Right back atcha!" Bo returned his friendly, yet informal gesture with exaggerated friendliness and forced smile. "I um, haven't seen you in…has it been twelve years?"

"Yeah, yeah. Something like that. I had a contract in another colony. After that was up, well it didn't seem like a good time to come back when the Ancients were in town." He rubbed the back of his head thoughtfully.

"So…what brings you back?" she asked, but thought: _Because this is what I really need, another ex back in my life…_

"Oh right – well, now that the dust is settling, there's a lot of opportunity in the midst of chaos for a guy like me! Thought I'd try something new." He grinned mischievously with a twinkle in his eye.

Bo shook her head and threw her hands up with a forced laugh, "Always the opportunist!"

"Well the opportunity for you to end your contract with the Dark fae is closing quickly!" Evony thankfully interrupted from behind her desk.

Ryan hurried over to the desk to sign, and the Light fae witness signed after him. Evony handed him the contract and asked him not-so-politely to leave her office. "Congratulations! You are no longer one of us, now GET OUT!"

"Uh,right! Good seeing ya, Bo!" he headed for the door, but turned back to the Morrigan, "Hey, is there any chance I can get my parking validated?"

"No, but there is a good chance you'll be drinking your meals through a straw for the rest of your life if you don't vanish right now!" Evony calmly informed him. She was in a foul mood after the Succubus accused her of kidnapping the young Valkyrie after all she had done for the girl. She was fond of her, in a way. During their brief meetings she found the girl to be shrewd and intelligent, with a sharp wit. They shared a love of horses and riding, and were both often exasperated by Bo's shenanigans. For the once and future Morrigan rebuilding her empire and gathering allies in the fae world – it was enough to engender goodwill between them.

Once the Loki had scuttled out of the room, the Morrigan turned her glaring brown eyes to the Succubus. _There is no point in trying to convince her I only have the best of intentions for Dagny; I need to cut my loses and get her out of my life!_ "Are you ready to sign your allegiance away?" As Bo moved to the front of the desk, Evony picked up a pen and scribbled something on a post-it note. When she was finished, she kept the note but offered the pen to Bo. "Sign!" The leader of the Dark fae was upset, and it occurred to Bo that maybe everyone was right – no one wanted Hades back and everyone was in fear of her dark powers.

The Succubus drew her lips tight in a grim expression and accepted the pen. She signed and waited patiently as the witness signed. Straightening up and folding her contract revocation, she placed it in her jacket pocket, staring at the Morrigan with a neutral expression the entire time. She nodded once and turned to leave instead of waiting for the seething woman to throw her out.

"Wait!" Evony stopped her in her tracks, and got out of her chair to walk around her desk and hand her the note she had written on earlier. "Here are the names and numbers of my men that were at the restaurant. Let Mark speak to them, since he's a Dark fae. I'll make sure they'll tell him what you need to know. I don't want any more of my people to end up in the morgue." She walked to the door and opened it. "Steve…" the security man looked to Bo and gestured to the door, which the Succubus moved through wordlessly. But Evony spoke some parting encouragement to the back of the guest, "Well, I hope you find her. But look on the bright side; when she devolves into an underfae, you can keep her safely locked up in a cage!"

Ignoring the dig at her that hurt more than Evony could possibly know, Bo paused and asked one final question that had been nagging her with her back still turned, "And Lauren?"

"What about her? Oh, I see – now you are accusing me of plotting to kill your wife. My people are being attacked and killed in the streets; Lauren works to save them. Yet **you** are the one who brought your father and the Ancients here to kill everyone in the colony. You really should think twice before you throw stones at others, living in that glass house of yours. And you aren't really good at reading people's motivations." Evony couldn't cover the hurt in her voice with sarcasm anymore.

The Succubus turned around, not sure if she believed the Morrigan or not, but suddenly curious about another matter, now that the woman had paraphrased Tamsin. "Why did you fire Tamsin?"

"WHAT!? What the _hell_ are you talking about…." The out of the blue question confused her for a moment, but when she remembered the incident her mood lifted and she enthusiastically told the Succubus what she wanted to know. "She didn't **tell** you!" Evony laughed and shook her head. "Oh, she fell _hard_ for you! I _told_ that idiot you and your sycophants would never accept her! If she would have listened to me, she might still be alive today!" She would have continued in this vein for awhile, but she noticed the Succubus' face turning dangerously dark red and answered her quickly and concisely instead. "Well, in answer to your question, lying to me, insubordination, and falsifying evidence in a criminal case." She shut the door, but Bo could hear her uncontrollable laughter behind it as she tried in vain to understand exactly what was so funny about Tamsin's betrayal of her.

"This way, ma'am." Steve hinted to his escortee, bringing her out of her thoughts.

As they made their way to the elevator, Bo decided to make some small talk to try to establish a rapport with Bruce's less friendly brother. "Hey, have you heard from Bruce lately?"

"No ma'am. We aren't very close."

"Oh, I'm sorry." She sighed, "…and I hear you. My sister and I don't see eye to eye very often either. But at least you have your other brothers; she's the only relation I have left."

They fell silent, and remained so as they rode the elevator down to the ground floor. After they exited the elevator and he was holding the outside door open for her, she thanked him. But she paused in the pouring rain since he took the opportunity to tell her something.

"Bo, I think Bruce would want you to know – Tamsin got fired because Evony ordered her to use her Valkyrie powers to wake the Dark fae in a coma you were accused of attacking. Tamsin told Evony he didn't say anything or identify who attacked him. The Morrigan knew she was lying because the nurse outside heard them talking, but couldn't make out what they were saying until he screamed for her to kill him. And Tamsin wasn't a very good liar. I don't know what he said to her or why she lied, but for what it's worth - that's what happened." He closed the door against the storm raging outside and Bo ran for her car, despite the fact that she was already drenched.

Once she got behind the wheel of her beloved yellow Camaro, a sudden and important thought occurred to her. "I never asked if she was still human or not…" Cursing to herself for being distracted by unfolding events, she made a concerted effort to focus on her priorities. _Vex told me not to go off half-cocked, I know this wasn't what he was talking about, but I should have listened to him._ She took out her phone and called Mark to give him the information about Evony's agents and the other suspects. As for what Steve had told her about Tamsin, she would mull over the implications of that later.

 _ **Stacey's place…**_

" _NICE_ place, Stacey!" Dagny quipped in disgust. The interior was Spartan, in every sense of the word. Not very clean, unadorned and utilitarian – it was a single room with only one other door which the young fae assumed led to the bathroom. She crossed her arms and looked around in amazement at how the elder Valkyrie lived. It suddenly occurred to her that she had led a _very_ sheltered life.

"Yeah, not bad huh?" the sarcasm was lost on Stacey, as she apparently took it as a compliment. "Tamsin showed me this place. It was one of Acacia's safe houses when she was a bounty hunter. She still has people maintaining it for Valkyrie on missions, I assume. I can't stay here too long, in case one of them is after me." She began peeling off her wet clothes, and invited her young companion to do the same, "I need a shower, and if you want hot water for yours – you better join me. The hot water doesn't last, and I feel like taking a long shower."

Dagny watched in amazement as the strange woman awkwardly undressed as she walked into the bathroom. By the time she made it through the door, she was shirtless and her pants were partially down. _Is this what Valkyrie are like? Is this what Tamsin was really like?_ the young fae pondered in disbelief. _I must have inherited more dominant traits from my father than my mother if this weirdo is typical of Valkyrie! But I am freezing cold, and I could use a hot shower._ She walked into the small bathroom just as her now naked companion turned the water on.

"Oh, I was beginning to think you were too shy. Too bad, that's kind of cute to me!" she winked and stepped behind the curtain and under the water with a groan of gratitude. "Ohhhhhh, yeah! What a day! After you shower, you can pick out some dry clothes to wear; shirts won't be a problem, but pants…I might have some sweat pants that will fit you. Sorry, but you are a lot taller than me, like your mom."

The tiny bathroom was just as bare as the other room. A single free-standing sink over which a small mirror hung, a single towel rack and a military style footlocker were all it contained, other than the small shower. The young girl undressed and joined her, only wearing the gold rope chain with the pendant Kenzi had given her. It was the small feather forever encased in acrylic. It was all that was all that was left of her mother when she died.

They washed themselves, talking only to indicate their desire to change places rinsing off under the blessedly hot water. When they were finished washing themselves, Stacey true to her word stayed in the shower after her guest had stepped out to dry off. But she finally spoke to her guest again, once they were separated by the shower curtain, "So, your necklace – is that one of your mother's feathers?"

Dagny paused in her effort to look for another towel to give her host, "Yes, it was her last life – so she had wings and that was all that was left of her after she was 'risen' or whatever you guys call it."

"WHAT?!" the shower curtain opened and the short-haired blonde stuck her head out, "That is stupid human myth! Who the _**hell**_ told you Valkyrie only get their wings when they are on their last life?"

"Uh, only EVERYBODY! I guess the druid Massamo told Bo that. Wait, are you saying that's not true?" She suddenly felt as if her world were turned upside-down and she no longer was sure who or what to believe. She stopped drying her hair and turned back to the woman in the shower. But Stacey had already ducked back in the take advantage of the precious hot water. She was giggling and murmuring something only partially coherent about baby fae, and Valkyrie High.

"Stacey – when DO Valkyrie get their wings?" Dagny asked, opening the trunk to find clean and dry towels.

She was answered with a question, "Do you play video games?"

"Sometimes."

"And you get lives in those games. Do you get more powerful just because you are on your last life?"

"No, you get more powerful when you have enough experience and skill to level up, no matter what life you are on. It all depends on how good you are at the game."

"Awww, shit!" Stacey turned off the water and opened the curtain. "Told ya it didn't last very long! Must have a leak in the pipes…" she gratefully accepted the clean towel, taking the time to read the expression of her young student. "The old Valkyrie, the originals, before Freya ruled all had their wings. But now, lot of Valkyrie never get them, ever! And if they do, it is on their last life. Your mother got her wings before her last life. Tam Tam was good at the game, but she did have the advantage of seven more lives. The Blood King gave her another quarter to put in the machine, know what I mean? Still, I don't know when she got them the first time." Pointing to the large scar just below Dagny's left collar bone she added, "But you might get your wings sooner than most – looks like you've already been in combat. Pretty rare for a fledgling Valkyrie! They usually are assigned all the shit details, like decorating the banquet halls. And young ones out in the world on their own are usually killed off when they are pretty young. That's why we feel the call to seek out our own kind. But if you really do have the Dark Queen protecting you, you should be alright."

Dagny looked down at the scar, and although her first instinct was to go along with Stacey's wrongful assumption, she felt there was more value added to be honest with her, "No, I've never been in a real fight. I've only trained in physical combat with Mark and his father. I did this to myself." _I need her to trust me, and trust has to be earned…and even if she isn't the sharpest tool in the shed she has demonstrated that she is smart enough to know that._

 **Author's note: Before you ask – no, Ryan and Bo have no intention or desire to get back together as per canon. That's not where this is going. But he is a fun character!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Thanks for reading and reviewing, guys.**

Dawning of a Valkyrie

Chapter 12: Epiphanies and Suffering a Fool

Bo raced to Lauren's clinic, fulfilling the Morrigan's request to let Mark interrogate the men and her own desire to check on the doctor – just to be sure. She breezed through the waiting room and headed directly for the door marked 'Authorized Personnel Only' that led to the back of the clinic, just as she had done so many times before. But today she was stopped by two uniformed police officers. _Aaawww, damn it! I forgot about Mark sending cops over!_

"Sorry miss, you'll have to check in and be cleared before you enter." The beefier dark skinned police officer informed her in a deep melodious voice.

"Oh, of course!" she smiled. _Well, they are competent and seem up to the job. But great gods, did they_ _ **have**_ _to be so sexxyyy!_ She thought to herself, resisting the urge to charm them into letting her through the door or asking them out, for a feeding. "Sorry, my bad! Don't shoot me!" she giggled and threw her hands up in a sign of surrender to their authority. When they both scowled at her antics, she realized they had mistaken her unintended flirting for mockery and forced herself to be more serious. "I uh, I mean…I'm on the access list. Carol can verify that…annnddd – you're not Carol." She turned to the receptionist's desk, but the friendly human wasn't behind it. It was a slightly familiar face in an unexpected place. _Oh what fresh hell is this?!_

"Bo…!" the receptionist cheerily piped up. "Hey, it is you! Sorry, I'm temping for Carol, she had a family emergency. Remember me? Dixie?" she hinted, hopefully.

"Umm…look, I'm sorry -I'm kinda in a hurry. Could you please tell these gentlemen I'm on the access list?" she remembered the petite young pixie now, an annoying yet enthusiastic feed from this past summer – or was it last year? She couldn't even remember if she actually went home with her and had sex or simply took her and her chi from her at the club they met at.

"Oh, right." She nodded and became more serious. Obviously the Succubus wasn't as excited as she was by their unexpected reunion. She scanned the list, then looked up and asked awkwardly, "Sorry, what's your last name." her face was flushed red in embarrassment at the realization that she had shared a very intimate evening with a woman without even bothering to ask her full name.

"Dennis. Bo Dennis." She took out her ID and handed it to one of the officers after the diminutive secretary assured them she had approval to move freely through all area of the clinic. They moved aside after verifying her identification and allowed the brunette to go through the door. _Damn! I hope she doesn't expect an encore!_

Bo sighed as she ran a hand through her wet hair, her footsteps amplified and echoed by the narrow hall. It was unusually quiet in the clinic, and that only added to the Succubus' anxiety, but the sight of Lauren in her lab coat stepping out of her research lab brought a smile to her face. Ever the workaholic, she had her eyes firmly glued to the clipboard she was holding and didn't notice her wife walking down the hallway towards her until she was right in front of her.

She looked up and exclaimed in surprise, "Bo!" she brushed her hair back from her face as if she didn't trust she what her eyes where telling her, "What are you doing here? Did you find Dagny?"

Bo responded by surging forward and hugging her in relief that she was safe. Strange events were unfolding and she felt as if things were only going to get worse. Now was the time to take a moment to appreciate the good things in her life. She kissed Lauren tenderly then answered, "No, but Evony gave me some leads and Mark is looking into it. She also told me the Inter-Clan Council might have a hand in her abduction, and Dyson is investigating that."

"The Inter-Clan Council?" Lauren rolled her eyes, "That's just GREAT!" Lauren said in exasperation and rolled her eyes. She answered the unvoiced question written all over Bo's face, "I just got an email from Evony saying she will no longer be involved with managing the clinic, and will turn over control to a board of directors who will be chosen by the Inter-Clan Council. She did say as the Morrigan, she would ensure the Dark fae continued to partially fund our operation. Why would she do that?"

"I…I don't know, Lauren! Why are you asking me?" Bo blurted out in confusion.

The doctor took the top sheet from her clipboard and showed it to her wife, "Because she told me not to contact her directly and if I had any questions, you would answer them."

After reading the highlighted text, Bo sucked in her lower lip and closed her eyes for a second, running through her meeting with the Morrigan in her head before formulating a response, "I went to see her…and she annulled my Dark Fae contract."

"And…?" Lauren asked with eyebrows raised. It had already been established that the Morrigan was offering to do that for her, willingly. She busied herself placing the printed email message on the clipboard while waiting for a reply. When Bo gave no further explanation, she expressed her rejection of that answer, "That is not the reason, let the other shoe drop, Bo!"

"I MAY have pissed her off; I didn't believe her when she told me her men weren't involved in Dagny's kidnapping. She sort of said she wanted me out of her life." She concluded with a guilty expression.

The doctor sighed, dropped her head and shook it. If Evony wanted the Succubus out of her life, that meant collaterally, she was out as well. And dealing with a council of unknown fae could be a bureaucratic nightmare when she needed something taken care of quickly. When she looked up, it was to shift the topic to another important issue, "OK, we'll sort that out later. But tell me, is Evony human – or fae again?"

 _ **Meanwhile, at Stacey's place…**_

Stacey was digging through a duffel bag, looking for clothes for her new sister. She was already dressed in a tank top and underwear. But the gears in her mind were slowly beginning to turn. "So, you cut yourself, huh. Too bad – Acacia said combat was the key to learning to master your powers. Freya believed the old wives' tale and always said sex was most import for a Valkyrie to master to become powerful. She even seduced some of her students if they were too shy to sleep with anyone. Makes me kinda believe Acacia was right."

"That's sick!" Dagny pulled a disgusted face, then asked concerned, "Did she seduce you?"

"Me? Oh no, I didn't have any issues in that department. But she did nail Tamsin." She giggled, "Guess that's why she made her Head Girl in Valkyrie High. But I got Valedictorian, and Tamsin got expelled for following Acacia instead of Freya, so whatever." She shrugged it off, not taking into consideration at all that she was speaking so callously about the mother of her guest.

"So Freya manipulated her young Valkyrie to be loyal with sex, but Acacia said they needed to learn to fight. I think I like this Acacia." Dagny smiled. _Strange that Valkyrie would go to high school. Guess that's where they learn to be all 'Mean Girl.'_

Stacey stopped and looked at her, "Well, Freya didn't just use sex. But still, I think the old wisdom has a grain of truth in it. It's too easy to be doubted if you are afraid of sex. You seem to have that base covered; now you need know what it feels like to be in a real fight." She looked back to her task, "What was it you cut yourself with that left that scar? Had to be a hella blade for it not to heal completely." She found the promised simple grey sweat pants and tossed them to her companion clad only a tight T-shirt and pair of men's boxers Stacey didn't even remember how she acquired. When she received only a frown in response, she continued, "Valkyrie aren't self mutilators. You must have it bad for the Succubus, too, don't you? Probably inherited that love mutation from your mother." She tsked.

Dagny caught the pants tossed at her and scowled at the woman who was now staring at her with distain. "Nooooo! I am **not** in love with Bo!" she scowled back.

"Yeah, right! That's what Tamsin said! Anyways, she better like you a lot more than she did your mother, or we won't get any help from her. Bo wasn't happy with Tamsin the last time she saw us together. Your mother was trying to send Hades back, and then return to Valhalla. And Bo _really_ hates me." the elder Valkyrie rolled her eyes, and felt no further need to argue the point as she turned away to switch on the small ancient television in the room and change the channel until she found a local news show. "We need to check the weather, so I can get you back as soon as possible."

Dagny sat down on the small bed without putting on the frayed sweats. "She is very close to _me_. I mean…I think she is- I don't know." Her mind was processing the reaction Stacey had displayed and what possible ramifications that might have on her own plans. The increased volume of the sound of rain on the roof joined by the now whistling wind made a weather report superfluous to her mind. _Time to throw another card on the table._ She thought. "I didn't cut myself because I am in love with Bo. Bo's father put his mark on me; I had to cut away. I used a blade Tamsin stole from Zeus."

 _ **Lauren's Clinic…**_

Her wife bit her own lower lip and groaned in embarrassment as she looked away momentarily in shame. When she met Lauren's intense gaze once more she answered with a pained expression, "I don't know; she didn't say and I forgot to bring it up. I kind of…got distracted…?"

Lauren whirled around in exasperation and threw her hands up in disbelief, nearly losing her grip on the clipboard in her left hand. _I love her to death, but she really lets her emotions control her actions too easily. And she sure as hell can't multi-task! Then again, maybe that's one of the reason_ _ **why**_ _I love her…_ she thought until her wife's emphatic apologies and pleading to forgive her finally broke up her wool-gathering and allowed her to re-focus on the most important priority. She turned her head and gestured for Bo to follow her into her private research lab. Once they were inside, she faced her once again and asked "OK, we need to find Dagny. Can't Dyson or Mark track her cell phone?"

"No, they found her phone at the scene. She must have dropped it. And Mark was driving her truck; he has the keys." the brunette frowned sullenly. Before Lauren could ask her another question, her phone rang. "It's Mark!" She pulled her hair away from of her right ear and answered the call quickly. "Mark! Did you find her?"

The doctor moved closer to hear the conversation, but a loud alert toning out an emergency notification from her computer across the room demanded her attention. It was a weather alert, giving notice of localized flooding and downed trees blocking roads in the area. _Great, what a shit storm! Well, at least it was forecast and not supernatural. But, they didn't foresee the severity of it…_ She tapped at the keyboard, looking up the specific information to find out which roads were currently impassable. Her wife's string of vitriol filled curses snapped her focus back to the Succubus and what she may have gleaned from the young shifter.

"Bo, what is it? Did Evony's men take Dagny?" she asked as soon as their eyes met. When Bo, seemingly in shock, didn't say anything, she straightened up from her position leaning over her computer. She walked over to her lover and took her hands, prompting her again, more gently as she stared into her eyes, "Bo?"

"No, nothing could be that easy. They **are** hunting a Valkyrie, and Mark is going to message me the dossier on the target as soon as he gets it, as well as a surveillance photo from the restaurant security footage they believe to be her. The other two attackers are still unknown, but not working with Evony's men, according to them at least." She scowled.

"I wonder if it could be that woman Dagny tried to chase down….Wait -why is Evony renting her men out to hunt Valkyrie?" Lauren asked with furrowed eyebrows, puzzled.

"According to Mark, this Valkyrie stole from the Mistress of Valhalla years ago and has been on the run ever since. They offered Evony the contract since Valkyrie can sense the presence of one of their sisters and she has successfully avoided them so far."

Lauren let go of her wife's hands and lifted her own to her face, palms facing each other gestured towards Bo to encourage her to focus not who they were hunting but why Evony agreed to do it, "No, no – I mean what is SHE getting out of the deal."

Realization dawned on Bo; her eyes grew wide and her mouth dropped, "DAGNY!"

Her wife disagreed vehemently, putting her hands on her hips, "What! No! Why would she hire men to grab another Valkyrie to get your sister in the bargain?! She could have had them grab Dagny during one of her horseback rides alone with Lou Ann in the country. Can't be money…or influence…" she lifted one hand to her chin, a finger tapping it as she tilted her head back.

"Immortality – to be fae again." Bo stated in a monotone. When Lauren snapped her light brown eyes to meet her dark brown ones, she elaborated, "That's why she made her play to be the Morrigan again, human or not. And if they **did** somehow help her be fae before she delivered her part of the bargain, they must be desperate."

Lauren indulged in her nervous habit of looking away quickly and swiping her hair out of her face the action caused before she argued against the premise, "How? From what I know, Valkyrie don't study the pure sciences - they focus all their attention on the dead and the art of war. They can't _possibly_ know anything as complicated as DNA engineering!"

"You're right." Bo conceded with a sigh, as she in turn dropped her head and looked away. But she suddenly turned her eyes back to the doctor's and grinned in pride born of a sudden epiphany, "But they DO have access to a lot of brilliant people – both living and _**dead**_ in the nether realms!" She threw her arms wide, surprised not only that it had taken so long for both of them to work out the answer – but that she was the one who worked it out.

Instead of the praise she expected, the blonde forcefully grabbed both sides of her head and kissed her forcefully, pushing her lithe body against the Succubus. Bo responded by unbuttoning her lab coat and then reaching inside it to allow her hands free travel behind her wife's back to pull her closer into their embrace. She shivered in reaction the cold wet clothes now pressed tightly against her body.

A loud thunderclap sounded indicating there had been a lightning strike nearby, and the lights in the lab began flickered and went out in response.

 _ **Stacey's…**_

"Well, smart move cutting yourself off from **him** ….Great, there's a lot of road closures. But the rain should let up in an hour or so." Stacey frowned at the news report, and then turned to her guest. "In the mean time, we need to find a safe way to Bo's. Get your phone out, and we'll plan out a route." She walked away from the TV she was standing in front of and sat on the bed next to Dagny.

"Stacey – I thought you knew. I left my phone at the restaurant. That woman knocked it out of my hands. Wait, do you have your phone?" the young blonde asked.

"Hell, no! I'm not stupid! I ditched it when I knew they found me. I had to give my boss my phone number, and even the dumbest cop should know to review the surveillance footage and be able to figure out that we left together. You know, they can track you with your cell phone." She informed her young protégé as matter-of-factly as a toddler might inform a parent of something they just learned that is obvious to anyone over the age of five.

Dagny fought the urge to call out the older Valkyrie and mock her, but it was too powerful to resist and the words came spilling out, "You KNEW the cops can track people by their cell phone; you KNEW they would know we left together – and you only just NOW asked me if I had my phone?" Elbows on her knees, she dropped her head into her hands and groaned. Her hopes for a gaining a mentor for her impending Dawning faded every time the woman opened her mouth to showcase her stupidity. This strange Valkyrie was no Master Yoda to her padawan Jedi; "Aaaaghhhh, how are you even still ALIVE with these people after you? You just said you knew they would figure out we left together!" her voice was muffled by the hands covering her face. Looking at the ditzy woman would only frustrate her further until she spweded ever more biting comments on her lack of intellect that would _definitely_ be counter-productive to her desire to illicit as much information from her as she could.

"HEY! Who saved your ass! I was Freya's Right Hand! Second in Command in Valhalla! Anyway, you just stood there and let that…that fae woman attack you!"

"Qarinah." Dagny lifted her head to face her companion.

"What are you talking about?" Stacey was clueless, truly clueless.

"The fae woman that attacked me – I think she was a Qarinah." The younger woman clarified what she thought should have been apparent to an older and supposedly more educated fae. "They are related to Succubi, but are almost exclusively middle-eastern in origin. It's important to know what we are up against. Haven't you ever read…a BOOK?!"

The short haired Valkyrie's face still expressed her disbelief and puzzlement; she was in fact shocked that the girl hadn't commented on her position of importance in the Valkyrie world. "Who cares what she was – I doubted the HELL out of her and YOU. I was-"

"I KNOW! You already told me! If you were such a shit hot warrior, you would….What the hell!" she shook her head and looked away momentarily. _She can't even follow a thread in a conversation! Oh gods below – I never thought I'd believe it, but I need to go back home! Maybe if I'm not such as smart-ass to Bo, she will be open to see reason and let the Morrigan help me!_ When Dagny turned back, her eyebrows furrowed with the surging tide of her anger, bringing snark along like a surfer atop the wave, "I got it now - Freya was Don Quixote, and you were her asinine sidekick, Sancho! Get a net, Stacey; catch a clue!" Dagny stood and began to pull on the old sweat pants.

"Who's Don Quixote?" her still seated host asked.

Dagny laughed at her ignorance and turned to her seated 'mentor' as she tied the string at the waist, "Thanks for saving me; I do owe you. But you will have to collect later – storm or not, I'm going home before they kick the door in. Since you are second most powerful Valkyrie, I'm sure you'll figure out how to find me."

Stacey stood up as well, and faced her with her arms crossed. She wasn't going to let the baby fae one-up her and assume the dominant role in their very odd partnership. Once their eyes met, she ordered her, "You're not going anywhere. Not without me."

"Well then, come with – I am going to Bo's place right now." She stated as she grabbed her jacket off the metal bedpost and put it on, and then slipped into her wet boots without socks. Confident now that her rescuer had nothing else of value to offer her, she was willing to risk a confrontation. Hoping for a fight, more like it, since she felt certain Stacey wouldn't hurt her – at least not too much. It was becoming ever more apparent that she really _couldn't_ hurt her, even if she tried.

"The storm is still raging out there, -" shadows spread from her eyes as they sunk, "- and I don't think Bo cares about you as much as you think she does. _**Sit down**_."

Dagny felt her own mind whispering in a chorus of negative thoughts about how the Succubus was using her and didn't love her; the volume becoming painfully deafening and impulse telling her obeying the simple command to sit would vanquish them. But this time – she was expecting the attack, and was less inclined to obey the other Valkyrie. She let the doubts wash across her mind and evaporate like fog – they were like fragile bean sprouts that found no fertile ground in which to take root. They had surged with the self-contained energy of a seed, but shriveled in the presence of her own will. She smirked at her attacker with one eyebrow raised, "Is THAT all you've got? Please tell me you are good at SOMETHING!" Her own eyes sank with the darkening of the flesh around them, as she retaliated, "You couldn't doubt my mother and you can't doubt me; you only succeeded before because another fae attacked me first! Tell you what, since you lost Freya, if I can find someone more stupid than you, you can play second fiddle for them!"

Stacey's smile vaporized with the blackness surrounding her eyes. She tried in vain to respond, but although her mouth opened and closed it failed to produce a sound. Dagny didn't take the time to make a sarcastic quip or celebrate her victory; she was on the move to the door that led to the garage. _It was my mom's truck anyways; I'm sooo out of here!_

But the older Valkyrie did have something else she was good at, and regained her senses just as her formally willing hostage grabbed the doorknob and opened the door a few inches. Dagny was slammed against the door she was opening when Stacey grabbed her free right wrist and lifted it painfully up between her shoulder blades. Dagny, one side of her face pressed against the old wooden door began laughing manically as her attacker pressed her body against her back to hold her firmly in place, "I _**said**_ we are not leaving yet! Not until the storm blows over!" Stacey said, shocked and embarrassed that the girl was not afraid of her at all and desperate to regain control of the situation.

Her captive guest didn't stop her giggling as she lifted one boot clad foot and stomped down hard on the bare toes of her captor. She received a satisfying howl of pain in answer to her actions as Stacey relaxed her hold and shifted her body further away to avoid another attack. This gave Dagny enough room to toss her head back and effectively head-butt the older Valkyrie squarely on the bridge of her nose. She staggered backwards, and now completely free, the young fae whirled around to face her opponent. She could have left right then since the dazed woman was struggling to stay on her feet and focus her sight through the tears her eyes produced in reaction to the trauma she suffered.

Dagny didn't wait for her to regain her senses, and with a wicked grin and wild eyes delivered a powerful right roundhouse punch that spun Stacey around to fall on the bed face down. She followed her, lying on top of her and yoking the shorter woman up securely in a full nelson wrestling hold. "No, Stacey! You don't tell me what to do! I tell _you_!" the younger Valkyrie growled into her ear. Both of them were breathing heavily now, and not inclined to say anything at the moment as the sounds of dire warnings against travel from the TV and the howling wind driving the pouring rain made their disagreement moot. The storm made its power evident when the electricity suddenly shut off. "Shit!" Dagny hissed as she released the other woman and rolled off to lay next to her on her back in the darkness.

"I win!" her companion gloated.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Yes, Dagny had received training in physical combat with Dyson and Mark. It was mentioned in passing in an earlier chapter, but she said she had never been in a real fight. (Well, other than what happened in Spain which she doesn't remember clearly) And, in case I didn't make this clear – Bo never fed off of Dagny, even though Dagny hinted it to Stacey to try to manipulate her. And be forewarned, this is not a Dagny/Stacey romance. But, Stacey is Stacey.**

 **Coming soon; Bo reunites with her sister, real talk with the Morrigan, Vex's plans, who is after Stacey, why Bo brought up the motherhood topic to Lauren, why Lauren avoids it, and just what is the doctor researching on her own time, anyway? But first, let's find some other answers…**

Dawning of a Valkyrie

Chapter 13: The Truth in A Comedy of Errors

 _ **Lauren's Clinic…**_

The lights went out in the clinic and it went dark for a second until the blue hued emergency lights came on. Bo leaned out of their kiss and smiled at Lauren, "Just like the night of Zeus' storm…" she pressed her forehead against her wife's.

But the blonde doctor smirked and disagreed unexpectedly, "Not quite. Wait for it…" The distant sound of a diesel engine starting up was followed by the clicking relays, and then the lab came back to life. With the back-up generator running, the battery powered nostalgic blue emergency lights switched off ruining the romantic ambiance. Lauren disengaged herself from the embrace to focus on the practical, "You must be freezing Bo; why don't you take a shower and put on some dry clothes?"

Bo sighed, "I want to wait for Mark to send the information first." She looked at her phone, and found she had zero bars. "Great! I have no signal at all! I guess the cell phone towers lost power!"

The doctor moved to her computer, then picked up the land line phone, hanging up quickly. "Internet and phone lines are out as well. It's not safe to travel, and we are effectively incommunicado!"

"Great! Now what?" Bo threw her hands up in frustration.

Lauren gave her a lop-sided grin; hands in her lab coat pockets and gestured with her head to follow her to her office, "C'mon!" Once they were both inside, she shut and locked the door behind them, then went into the small closet. Bo heard a metal door opening and then a click of a breaker as the lights in the office went out, and the familiar blue emergency lighting took over.

The Succubus smiled wide, her own eyes now adding to the blue glow in the room. But the overhead lights, still on in the hallway, ruined the effect, "I'll shut the blinds!"

 _ **Stacey's…**_

Dagny took off her jacket and boots, and lay back down. There was nothing else she could do now, and decided she might as well get some rest. She sighed, and her sister Valkyrie seemingly had the same ideas as she shifted her position on the small bed without a word. But something was obviously bothering her as she fidgeted and tossed around on the bed in the dark room. The younger blonde ignored the irritatingly sleep depriving actions of her roommate until she could no longer contain her frustration and, eyes still closed, asked gruffly, "What is it, Stacey?"

She could tell that the short haired woman had rolled on her side facing her when she answered her, "I **am** good at some things, you know! I mean, like _really_ good!" her voice reflected the shame and embarrassment she felt at being bested by a baby Valkyrie she had mistakenly deemed inferior to her in every way.

The Valkyrie opened one eye, but could only catch a brief silhouette of the older fae when a distant lightning flash lit the room through the window boards momentarily. "I'm sure you are, Stacey. If you weren't, you would've been dead a long time ago. Maybe you can show me your super powers sometime." She soothed her wounded ego, if only in the interests of getting some rest. _She damn sure can't fight her way out of a paper bag if I beat her so easily._

"You'll let me show you; do you swear it to me by your blood? As a daughter of Valhalla?" she seemed eager to illicit the promise from the young Valkyrie.

"Sure, if it will shut you up - I swear it, by my blood, as a daughter of Valhalla." She murmured unthinkingly, hoping the older fae would just shut up until they were able to travel.

"Good…" she climbed on top of the younger fae, "…I'll show you right _now!"_

Before Dagny could coulees her conflicting thoughts into an appropriate retort, lips were pressed against her own. She moaned, her mind screaming she shouldn't do this and surprised by her body's rebellion as she eagerly escalated the kiss. Her arms wrapped themselves around the waist of her paramour to pull her closer. Finally wresting control of herself from the clutches of her lustful urges, she broke the kiss and panted out, "Stacey, I can't…I…" she trailed off, not sure if she hesitated to tell her she was essentially a virgin out of fear of exposing her intentionally misleading agenda or embarrassment.

But her quirky suitor's hands continued to roam, as she re-assured her, "It's alright – I don't want to steal you away from Bo." She began kissing up her neck, "and it isn't like you don't have to share her with the Hot Doctor, anyway." She bit down on an earlobe, then sucked it gently, "She can share; she doesn't _own_ you does she?"

"NO!" Dagny pushed the woman away, put she didn't move far.

Stacey allowed herself to be pushed back, surprised by the forceful answer and misinterpreting it's meaning, "Sorry, my mistake. I forgot; you're in love with her." Her voice was laced with disappointment as she rolled off her erstwhile lover to lay next to her with a sigh of resignation.

To her surprise, Dagny felt disappointed as well. _What the HELL! I don't want to be with this stupid woman! Why do I feel…oh gods…it felt so good! Maybe she is good at something. But Bo warned me I could hurt or kill my lover, the first time…but she_ _ **is**_ _one of my own kind._ She waited a few moments until her panting subsided then rolled on her side facing the older fae and corrected her, "NO, Bo doesn't own me. And ,NO - I am **not** in love with her."

Stacey turned her head to face her, and although Dagny couldn't make out her features she knew the Valkyrie was grinning wickedly in victory, "Prove it!"

Fear and embarrassment were replaced by lust and curiosity in the hierarchy of her emotions as pride took control of her actions - the inexperienced Valkyrie jumped at the chance to answer any challenge. She rolled onto the other woman and pinned her seducer down on the bed, kissing her more aggressively than a person of her experience should normally have the confidence to do.

Stacey wriggled her hands free to run them through her long blonde hair, then down her lover's muscular body. Once they reached her waist, she reversed their positions effortlessly. This was one contest she felt she had enough experience and confidence to win, and win easily. She **was** good at _one_ thing, and she used it to its full advantage. _Thank the gods Valkyrie are so competitive…_

 _ **Lauren's Clinic…**_

Lauren and Bo were entwined on the couch, naked and breathing heavily. The Succubus had decided to forgo the shower until they had at least gotten in one round of lovemaking before they were interrupted. Once the storm had let up enough to allow travel, people would inevitably be rolling in seeking treatment. She noticed the blonde was shivering in her arms, and asked of her "I'm sorry, now we are both cold. Wanna take that shower with me now?"

"I'd rather have a nice hot bath, but a hot shower will do!" Lauren gave her a peck on the forehead as she stood up and pulled her wife off the couch using the one hand they still had clasped together.

"Any port in a storm!" Bo quipped out a witty idiom in a giggle as she stood and bounced along behind her lover into the tiny bathroom.

Lauren turned the water on and pulled Bo into the tiny cubicle when judging, by the arm held under the stream, the water temperature was right. But once the brunette was fully under the hot water she staggered a bit, reaching out a hand to catch her balance on the smooth white tiles.

Lauren apologized for the excessive temperature, and turned the hot water down as she explained the physiological reasons why a sudden immersion in hot water could cause dizziness and loss of consciousness. Normally this would have elicited a lurid response from her wife, but she was still regaining her composure, even after the temperature was lowered. "Bo, are you alright? Do you need to feed?" she grabbed her wife's face and stared into her blue eyes, her own light brown ones darting back and forth across her features to catch the smallest clue. "You do, don't you? You were supposed to go out for dinner last night, weren't you?"

Bo nodded, and closed her eyes, her head still held in her wife's hands. She bit her lower lip in shame she hadn't felt in years. She and Lauren had long ago come to terms with her Succubus needs; and so it rarely came up in conversation. 'Going out for dinner' was their euphemism for her solo trips to find a fae to feed off of; never bringing them home, never being with the same person, never taking someone they both knew, never spending the night, and never speaking of it to her wife were the unwritten rules that had organically evolved and been mutually agreeable to both of them for many years. Every feed was far from home, and he had always made those 'dinner dates' as short as possible. "I'm sorry!" she whispered when she opened her eyes.

The doctor smiled warmly and brushed the dark, wet hair from her wife's face, "Don't be! You can take a snack from me, and then you need to find a fae to feed off of here."

"Lauren, no! I'll-" she protested, only to be stopped by the stern look in her wife's eyes. "OK." She brought their lips together and kissed for as long as she could hold back her hunger before gently inhaling a small wisp of chi from her. It wasn't much, but it was enough to give her the strength to overcome the momentary dizziness and loss of balance. Once juiced enough to confidently stand without the aid of the shower walls she turned fully to face her lover and draw her into a tight embrace. "I love you so much!" she whispered into Lauren's ear. She pulled back and looked into her light brown eyes; just to be sure she was sincere in her suggestion and wouldn't be hurt if she fed off of someone in her own clinic. Nothing she found in them suggested she wasn't serious when she asked her to indulge in her hunger at the clinic or in any way offended by it.

The blonde saw the conflict raging in her wife's mind played out in her eyes and facial expressions. She raised her eyebrows, and stated concisely and emphatically, "Bo, you need to feed. Especially now, with everything that is happening. I understand. Have you seen anyone that might be suitable?"

The Succubus rolled her eyes, "Well, there is your receptionist. She seemed really interested!"

"Carol?" Lauren asked, eyes now furrowed in confusion. She was human, the claimed human wife of a Light fae vampire – a rarity in and of itself and entirely out of the question as mutually acceptable feed, for a myriad of reasons. But realization dawned on her with the surprised and contrary look she saw on Bo's face, "Oh right, the temp…what's her name?"

"Dixie. Dixie the pixie." Bo grimaced and sighed, yet felt compelled to admit, "I've fed off of her, once before some time ago. I can't remember when it was, but she seemed eager for a second helping."

"Well, then – she sounds ideal! Tomorrow is her last day, and pixies are notoriously lustful and promiscuous!" Lauren chirped.

She still felt hurt that circumstance and her Succubus nature had collided to make this conversation necessary. Bo was nearly in tears as she told her wife, "I never let them…touch me…I mean, I don't ever,…not like-"

She was cut off by a forceful kiss, and when Lauren pulled she back shushed the still protesting Succubus as she soothed, "I know, I know." She stroked her hair gently and smiled and moved her arms to grip her shoulders once she was sure Bo was over her shame, suddenly changing her demeanor and turning her wife's body to face the back wall of the shower. She pressed the front of her own body against the back of her lover as the brunette braced herself against the walls with both hands now. Lauren moved her hands from her shoulders as she kissed them to drift and caress down ever more southward, then whispered into her ear, "That's why I'm going to return the favor for her, ahead of time!"

 _ **Stacey's…**_

Dagny struggled to gain control of both her breathing and her emotions as her lover rolled off of her, commenting on how she expected more from the lover of a Succubus. After a moment, she left the bed to rummage for something in her sparse belonging. Her lover didn't move, and alternately giggled, then hitched her breath as if to keep herself from sobbing. The young fae wasn't paying any attention to the older Valkyrie at all and simply lay limply on the bed, regaining her composure.

Suddenly, a bright light was shining in her eyes and she found the presence of mind to lift an arm to block it from her vision. "What the HELL, Stacey?!" she asked as she blindly swept her other arm out to knock the older Valkyrie's hand holding the flashlight away.

"So-rry!" Stacey sarcastically tisked out an apology, but she switched off the light and lay back down on the bed. "I thought I broke you…or something." She explained, but couldn't help adding a boast, "I mean, I know I'm good – but I didn't think I was THAT good. Then again, Freya always came back for more!" She was silent for a moment in confusion, before she came to the inevitable conclusion, "Sooooo, first time crossing the finish line, huh? I guess the Hot Doctor doesn't approve of her lover letting her feeds have any fun in the bargain." Neither one of them were aware that the exact opposite was true.

This brought her young guest back closer to reality, "Wh-what? " she asked, ignoring the assumption about Bo she was partially responsible for, "I thought you said…Freya didn't seduce you?" she panted as she sat up on her elbows.

"She didn't! **I** seduced **her**!" the short-haired Valkyrie laughed out, arrogantly. Then, more seriously added, "Now you owe me, again." She pulled the young fae on top of her, and when she felt her lover hesitate, she gave her some encouragement, "I know Succubi are really easy to please, but I bet you are a fast learner…" She began nibbling Dagny's neck, then paused to murmur against her skin as she grabbed one of her lover's hands to guide it, "…and on this subject – I'm a _very_ good teacher!"

 _ **Lauren's Clinic…**_

Bo, now dressed in clean and dry scrubs, cracked open the door to the lobby to peek out at the receptionist, still dutifully behind her desk but twirling a pen idly between her fingers as she rested her chin on her other hand. Even with her wife's permission, she felt resistant to engage in feeding in places she frequented often. She nearly jumped out of her skin when ginger freckle-faced officer assigned to guard the door's face came into view. "Is everything alright? Can I help you, ma'am?"

Bo opened the door fully, laughing, "No, no! Sorry, I just thought Dixie might be hungry!" the receptionist turned her brilliant green eyes to meet hers, and she held their gaze as she continued, "I know I am. Would you like to join me in the employee break room?"

The auburn-haired woman sighed, and looked away still feeling the sting of being brushed off so brusquely earlier. Yet the promise of ecstasy in the arms of the Succubus was too much for her to resist. It was in both their natures, after all. She slammed the pen down and stood up from the desk. Walking past the guards and through the door, she winked as she looked into the glowing blue eyes, "Sure, as long as you're buying."

"I always do." she grinned and began to close the door behind the pixie. It was impeded by a force from the other side, and a large dark face was peering through the crack in the door when she turned to investigate.

"Sorry, ma'am, but I am feeling a little hungry myself – if you know what I mean!" the fae police officer who initially stopped her from entering the lab earlier said sheepishly yet oh so seductively in his deep and unnaturally sexy voice. And she knew _exactly_ what he meant.

"Not now!" Bo hissed, eager to get this feed over with and hoping to keep him on the back burner for a possible future feed. "Don't you have a job to do? I'll bring you guys a sandwich or…something…" she slammed the door shut.

 _ **Stacey's…**_

"Sorry, I didn't mean to draw blood." The older Valkyrie heaved in whisper to her lover now limp on top of her. Her fingers dug into the young Valkyrie's back were wet with what she assumed to be blood. When she only received a grunt in response, she rolled her off onto her stomach and sought out the flashlight on the simple nightstand. Hurriedly she turned it on to light up Dagny's back. Indeed, there were deep red scratch marks down them; two of them still oozing blood. "Ooops. I did break her!" She cringed, and the lights came back on. Dagny, however, continued her deep and heavy breathing undeterred by the sudden presence of overhead lights.

Releasing a sigh of relief, the more experienced fae understood now that her guest was simply in a slumber of healing and growth typical for Valkyrie and more easily induced in fledglings. "Told you, I win! Baby fae!" she sighed, shaking her head. She went into the bathroom to clean up, and grab a wash cloth to clean the back of her slumbering student.

 _ **Lauren's Clinic…**_

Bo was in and out of the employee break room as quickly as she could manage, and true to her word sent a satisfied and smirking Dixie the pixie back to the front of the clinic with sandwiches and chips from the vending machine for the police guards and handful of people still stranded in the waiting room. She didn't have any money on her, but it was easy to charm the eager and lustful pixie into footing the bill with a promise of reimbursement in cash she felt remorseful Lauren would have to fulfill.

Before she reached the doctor's private lab, though, she noticed something was different and stopped to focus her attention to discover what it was. _The wind and rain have died down, and I don't hear an engine running anymore, but I do hear…_

"I'm SORRY!...Listen…No! You LISTEN to me! We will fix this tomorrow!...I promise…yes pixie swear…or pinkie… whatever…bye." Bo burst through the door, curious as to whom the doctor was speaking to and just what she had promised to fix. Apparently the phones were working again, a testament to the skill and dedication of the city's emergency response crews. She walked over to her as the blonde ran her hands up her face and behind her head to pull her hair back in a gesture of exasperation. "Bo!" she exclaimed in surprise.

"What's going on?" she asked, alarmed.

"Oh…jeez…that was Vex. He said Evony fired him from the Dark Fae council and he blames you." Lauren explained with concern.

The Succubus gulped guiltily; she didn't think her confrontation with the Morrigan would have so much collateral damage. Now fully fed, though, she more easily was able to focus her thoughts on the most urgent matters at hand, "Don't worry, I'll fix this." The blonde shot her a look of intense doubt with her arms crossed, "I mean, I'll grovel and apologize to her for the misunderstanding just like she wants me to so we can work this all out, OK?" Lauren lifted her eyebrows dipped her head to one side quickly to indicate her acceptance of the proposed solution. Bo sighed, and looked away to soothe her wounded pride. "He told me not to go off 'half-cocked,' but what does that mean anyways…" she grumbled.

"The half-cock position was the only effective way of safing a single-action revolver, other than leaving the hammer on, and next to, an empty chamber. Pulling the trigger, in that position, will not move the hammer either forward or rearward to the full cock position and effective firing position. After the invention of the double-action revolver, the 3-position sear…"

"I got it! I got it!" she said with her hands raised in surrender to the doctor's superior intellect and knowledge." She collapsed into the chair in front of Lauren's desk, "I was armed, and loaded, but I wasn't prepared when I pulled the trigger."

Lauren's phone buzzed again, and she took it out of her lab coat pocket quickly, "It's Mark!" she informed her wife before she hit the 'answer' button, "Mark!..no, she left her phone in the other office...OK…thanks!...Right, we'll meet you there!" She looked at Bo with hope in her eyes, "He's texting me the picture of the suspect Valkyrie from the restaurant, and the one from the dossier. They match, and he thinks it's the same blonde Dagny tried to chase down yesterday. He said her name _is_ Stacey!"

"That…BITCH!"

 _ **Stacey's…**_

Now dressed, Stacey sat on the bed and watched the news, eating cold pizza from her tiny refrigerator while she waited patiently for her guest to wake up. There was no sense in trying to wake a young Valkyrie from a growth or restorative sleep, and she suspected that maybe the Succubus had pulled too much chi from the youngster earlier. _Or maybe she can't get any sleep living with a sex demon. I bet it gets really noisy at night when the Succubus is doing her thing…_

The pizza slice fell to the floor when a news report came on detailing the fight at the buffet, and her face was plastered on the screen. It suddenly dawned on her that they might be able to find her not only by where her phone currently was, but where had been it in the past. Turning behind her, she attempted to shake her naked sister into consciousness, to no avail. She almost made it to door to escape on her own before she hesitated. Leaving Dagny behind would probably be the safest option, but that certainly wouldn't score her any points with the Succubus whose aid she sought. And they were sisters of Valhalla, after all. She ran back to the bed and searched for Dagny's borrowed clothes, struggling to dress the comatose girl. "Sorry, honey, but you are going barefoot and commando on this trip, since you aren't helping me." _Damn it! She was right! We should have left._

 _ **Lauren's Clinic…**_

"Bo – before you start, let's think about this." Lauren warned.

"What's there to think about, Lo?" she asked in irritation. The Succubus began ticking off the transgressions of the fugitive fae, "She helped Freya try to send Kenzi to Tartarus, she prevented Tamsin from helping me in Valhalla, she tried to KILL you, she-"

"-helped Tamsin try to banish Hades by taking on Freya." The doctor pointed out.

But her wife had a ready argument against that point she thought would be painfully obvious, "That doesn't count Lauren! Who DIDN'T want **him** sent away?!"

Her brown eyes reflected the pain she felt at the question, and she bit her lip and turned away rather than answer. She felt conflicted; Bo needed to hear what she had to say in order think logically and not allow her emotions to make rash decisions for her actions.

But the doctor's expression and actions were all she needed to say for the brunette to divine her unspoken words. Words that would remind her that _she_ had insisted they keep Jack close, so she could get to know him. The same thing she had told the Valkyrie in unrequited love with her after Tamsin and Stacey's failed attempt to send Hades back to Tartarus. Her own anger dissolved and she felt humbled at the epiphany, "It was me, wasn't it? I wasn't ready to send him away. Tamsin and Stacey risked their lives to help me, even if it was against my wishes at the time." She walked over and sat on the chair in front of Lauren's computer live streaming a local news channel and rested her chin on one hand.

Lauren hadn't intended to bring that up with her wife; indeed, she tried to avoid it. Bo's curiosity about her father was a point of contention between them years ago. But being with someone for so long means learning to hear what they are saying without words. Even if they try to hide it. In consolation, she walked over to the desk and offered, "Hey, we don't know for sure about… and, maybe it's another Valkyrie named Stacey! It could be-"

"No, it's her." Bo stated flatly and turned the computer screen with her free hand so Lauren could see the current news report. Stacey's face from a security video was displayed next to Dagny's driver's license picture. Though the sound was turned down low, the lower third banner stated in bold text that both of them were "Armed and Dangerous Attempted Murder Suspects."

"Oh…My…God!" Lauren was in shock momentarily that the fae police would allow such a press release, until the obvious dawned on her, "Wait – BOTH of them?"

 _ **Why both of them? Well, not much earlier…**_

Having heaved the unconscious blonde into the back of her Scout, Stacey tossed her boots and jacket onto the passenger seat. She listened to the sounds of sirens in the distance; one in particular was growing dangerously close – but as the sound grew clearer and a loud air horn chimed in along with it she discerned it was a fire engine and breathed a sigh of relief as it faded and joined its fellows in the distance. She tried to start the engine before opening the garage, unsuccessfully. Realizing she had no idea where Bo lived now, she grabbed the girl's jacket and rummaged for her identification. _Her old place is just an empty field now; maybe she found another crack house to live in…_ The driver's license listed an address was thankfully near the Dal, in an area she was familiar with and not too far away. _This address better be legit, or we could be in trouble._

"C'mon…c'mon…" she chanted as she tried to crank the engine again, with equally no success. Fearful of draining the battery, and knowing her companion was unable to help her push start the truck, she turned off the ignition with a sigh and waited. Another siren was getting closer; it was unmistakably a police siren. She stomped the clutch, pressed the accelerator all the way to the floor and tried again this time praying silently to the Old Norse gods, her ancestors, and even the risen Tamsin to watch over her daughter and beloved truck to get them out of this predicament. Not that she had any faith in anything anymore. _Acacia said in a raging battle, even those that have no faith find it in a foxhole. I think I know what she means by that now._ She thought to herself as she willed the truck into a sputtering start, filling the one bay garage with smoke and fumes as she revved the engine to keep it fed with fuel and alive.

Even with the amplified sounds of the running engine in the small garage, she could hear the police sirens getting closer, and it was more than one vehicle. "SHIT!" she exclaimed, and then as an afterthought while she was putting the car into gear informed her passenger laying in the truck bed, "Hang on, if you can hear me!" There was no time to open the door, but thankfully the 4X4 still had plenty of torque and a sturdy bumper and cow catcher protecting the grill. The flimsy door unrolled all the way to the ground under the wheels of the truck as the rollers jumped the track and the truck roared out onto the street and down a nearby alley before the approaching police turned onto her street.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: RE my review to another author, questioned by a reviewer on this story: Skip down to the end of the chapter if you want to hear about that. Another update coming soon; I wrote ahead a little farther because I'll be engaging in some beer swilling debauchery with my friends this weekend. It's been a while…**

Dawning of a Valkyrie

Chapter 14: Truth in A Comedy of Errors Act 2

"WHY is my sister being treated as a fugitive from justice?" Bo raged at Mark on the phone.

"Bo, I need you to stay calm. It isn't normal protocol to release a public BOLO on a fae suspect for either the Dark or Light fae. There is some serious shit going down, and I don't want to talk about it over the phone. Change of plans – I'm coming over to the clinic."

"Mark, what happened?" the Succubus asked in concern as Lauren moved closer to her.

She heard him sigh into his phone before answering, "Some of the Unaligned fae cops got wind that there was Evony was paying some Dark fae cops to capture Stacey and went after her on their own. There was an 'incident.' Be there in a few." He abruptly disconnected the call.

"Mark! Mark?" she closed her eyes. Her emotions had gone through the wringer tonight, and all she wanted to do now was go home and curl up in bed with Lauren. She set the phone down on the desk slowly as her wife laid a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Bo…" she brushed her hair out of her face as she looked intently into her wife's dark brown eyes. "…Bo, is Dagny alright?"

The brunette sank down into the office chair. "I don't know. He said he would explain when he got here. All he told me was that rouge Unaligned fae police went after Stacey on their own hoping for a reward from Evony, and there was an 'incident.'" Worry for her young sister now consumed her and vanquished all thoughts of retaliation.

Lauren patted her shoulder, and gave her a hopeful grin, "Well, Dagny must have come out on top of this 'incident' if they are classifying her as 'Armed and Dangerous.' And they did say attempted murder; she didn't kill anyone. Soooo…good news!" she finished with a rising inflection, hoping to cheer up the sullen Succubus.

 _ **The 'Incident'….**_

Stacey guided the vehicle, lights out, through narrow alleyways and across empty lots until she got out of the industrial area and onto one of the main thoroughfares. Turning on her headlights, she eased onto the road trying to control her urge to get to their destination as quickly as possible. _There are a lot of cops out tonight with the storm damage and road closures…surely not all of them are looking for me. I don't want to draw attention to us._

The few other vehicles she saw driving on the roads were rare, and she drove a few blocks, checking occasionally on her slumbering passenger, until she made a left turn onto another road and found the way blocked by a single patrol car. Confident the single officer standing outside the vehicle in his rain slicker could be doubted into letting them pass, she drove slowly up to the vehicle. She saw there were flashing yellow lights behind him, and could make out a tow truck lifting a wreck onto its bed as soon as she stopped. She sighed in relief, as the man walked up to talk to her, "Sorry ma'am. It'll just be a few minutes and then you can be on your way." She smiled at him and nodded. His radio squawked an All Points Bulletin, and her face fell when she heard her name mentioned. Thankfully, they didn't describe her vehicle. He turned his head to talk into the mike on his shoulder and answered in acknowledgement with his call sign, then turned back to her, "Sorry, ma'am, but I need to see some identification."

Remembering she had Dagny's driver's license, she brightened but prayed that he wouldn't shine his flashlight on her cargo in the back of the vehicle. "Of course, here you go." He shined his small flashlight on the license and then looked at her with a frown. But she was more than ready for his reaction as her Valkyrie came out, "Owwww, you think I look better with long hair don't you?"

"Yes, ma'am! I mean…sorry, I just think it's a shame you cut your long beautiful hair." He finished sheepishly. _You and me both, buddy!_ The Valkyrie thought to herself. The driver of the tow truck yelled to the officer that they were finished, and he turned his head to acknowledge the man. But before he could hand the card back to the Valkyrie, someone else shouted to him to stop her from the opposite direction.

Stacey whipped her head around to see who was behind her, and found there were three more police cars behind her blocking her escape from the opposite direction. They had approached silently and without lights, and when a scruffy faced man with greasy long hair and clad in poorly stitched animal pelts was the first to step out of the lead car – she knew they were in real trouble. _A tracker! Damn it!_ A man in a wrinkled and ill-fitting cheap grey suit with a badge on his belt followed next, quickly joined by men armed with pistols and M4 carbines they pointed at her. Noting that some of them had uniforms and some did not, she knew this incident had nothing to do with her breaking any laws, fae or human.

The human police officer took a few steps towards the detective to explain this wasn't the person they were seeking, and that was all the opportunity Stacey needed to throw her war wagon into gear and plow forward to push the cop car in front of her out of the way. She turned her head and looked behind her as she did so, trying to cast as much doubt as she could on the men behind. That was why her truck jumped the left curb and clipped a fire hydrant as it pushed past the patrol vehicle and stalled just as she shifted into second gear. As shots out, and the night came alive with the cacophony of curses Stacey spewed, the cranking starter of the truck, screams of pain from her passenger, and the rumpled detective's orders to cease fire 'you f-ing idiots!'" Water spewed from the side of the hydrant, the wind sending a fine spray over the occupants of the truck.

"Dagny!" the driver called, still frantically trying to start the truck, "are you hit?"

She received only a roar in answer, too deep and frightening to have come from her young sister, and turned around quickly. If she was injured, it couldn't have been too serious because she was pulling herself up, "Just start the truck, Stacey." But the older fae had to be told again, as she was frozen in shock. The men were approaching, she could see blood on the shirt and pants of her new friend, and she had no idea what to do next. But Dagny did, and staring into her pale blue eyes told her again in calm yet firm voice – "Stacey, start the truck. I'm fine. I got this." With that she limped to the back of the bed, yet vaulted over the tailgate as if uninjured.

Stacey nodded and focused on getting the vehicle started, less panicked now. Something about the way the girl talked to her gave her confidence, and the faint glow of her eyes spoke of untapped power the girl was about to unleash. Above the sounds of the flowing water and cranking starter, she heard the men telling Dagny she was free to go – they were only interested in taking the driver into custody as she was wanted by the Morrigan. The girl was laughing and telling them she wouldn't allow that because – and then the engine sprang to life.

Stacey turned around and backed up the vehicle off the curb and fully back onto the road, unfortunately pulling half the front bumper off its mounts. But that isn't what held her attention as she stopped the truck and jammed it into first. Dagny was pointing at the men and talking with them without raising her voice. Their ally, the human cop was laying next to the detective, seemingly knocked out commission so he couldn't bear witness to what was about to go down. Suddenly one of the men raised his M4 and shot the detective right above his left kneecap. Stacey jumped in her seat a bit, and came damn close to letting her foot off the clutch and stalling the truck out again. As the fae detective lay on the ground howling in pain, the rest of the men fell to the ground unconscious.

Dagny calmly picked up a revolver from one of the men and the older fae watched filled with dread at what she might do next. But she simply turned to the police vehicles and shot a front tire of each one of them before walking to the topless Scout and climbing gingerly into the passenger seat. The short-haired blonde, now soaked again by the fine spray from the fire hydrant stared her with her mouth hanging wide open.

"Those assholes shot me!" her passenger said in explanation, as if it suddenly dawned on her that her right calf was oozing thick dark blood. "Let's go. I'll tell you how to get there. And take your time – they won't be bothering us for awhile."

 _ **Lauren's Clinic…**_

Mark had arrived at the clinic looking haggard and bruised - a half-moon red mark under his left eye bearing witness to the fight he had gotten into at the restaurant earlier in the afternoon. He gratefully accepted a warm cup of coffee from Lauren as he sat in a chair in her lab. Bo, however, was less patient than her wife, "Well, tell us what happened." She asked with arms crossed.

"Maybe I should just show you." After taking a few good gulps of his coffee, he set it on the desk and produced a thumb drive from his jacket. He offered it to Lauren, who quickly plugged to into a USB port of her computer and pulled up the single video clip on drive. It showed the entire incident from the moment the lead patrol car turned onto the same road Stacey was stopped while waiting for the accident to clear. Although they couldn't make out much of what Dagny was saying, she seemed calm and in no way distressed. The most shocking thing for them was they could clearly hear the man telling her she was free to leave; they only wanted Stacey and her telling them she wouldn't allow it. Her eyes seemed to be glowing dimly, but it may have been an optical illusion from the headlights shining directly at her. Bo drew in a sharp breath and held it as the tracker shot his confederate in the leg, then exclaimed "Oh no!" and put a hand over her mouth when the girl picked up a pistol after the men were seemingly unconscious. But when she only used the gun to shoot out their tires, she closed her eyes and exhaled in relief. She opened them in time to see the girl get willingly into Tamsin's old truck and drive away into the night with Stacey.

The trio sat in silence for a moment until Lauren voiced what she believed they were all thinking, "So Stacey didn't kidnap her; she saved her from the men at the restaurant."

"We don't know that!" Bo chimed in, "She could have Stockholm Syndrome or something. Or maybe Stacey doubted her into helping her."

"Doubted her…into doubting those men?" he shook his head. "We can't really jump to conclusions, Bo. And there's more..." Mark began finishing his warm beverage, "…I've been fired. I no longer represent the Dark fae on the police force. Vex has been fired, too. I don't see how this has anything to do with my job performance. Once Evony's agents realized their mistake, they were very helpful. Hell, Burk and I are going to do some boxing training together next week…I have no idea why the Morrigan would fire me over this! We were working together to find them! It was the Unaligned who went off script and risked exposing the fae! That idiot Unaligned detective that got shot in the leg by his own man is the one who went to the media with the BOLO on Dagny!" The more he talked, the more agitated he became, until he realized he was ranting and leaned his head back, hands covering his face.

Lauren put his mind at ease, sort of, "Iiiiiii think we can explain that one for you." She looked at her wife with a smirk, "Bo…?" she raised her eyebrows in expectation.

She gulped, "Oh boy…" _Collateral damage is a mother-faeer alright._

 _ **Bo and Lauren's**_

Stacey was digging through the glove compartment of the truck for Tamsin's lock picking kit after her companion reminded her she didn't have her keys with her and needed something to jimmy the lock. They had made it safely and without further trouble to the small parking garage of her home she shared with Bo and Lauren. Not seeing any familiar vehicles, she assumed no one was home. "I don't know how to use this, you know." The older Valkyrie informed her as she handed her the dusty and mysteriously sticky case. "You heard the news on the radio – they are after us BOTH now! And I TOLD you, they have your driver's license, so THIS is the first place they'll look for us once they get their shit together."

" **I** know how to use this." Dagny informed her, "And as far as those shit-heads finding us here – I'm counting on it!" she added with a gleam in her eye and evil grin that gave her Valkyrie sister some unease.

"Maybe we should just…go – leave the colony. Start over." She suggested, still not entirely convinced the girl was as close to the Succubus as she said since she didn't even have a key to her apartment.

Dagny turned and limped for the entrance to the stairwell, now wearing her jacket and boots and looking through the simple tool kit. She dismissed the other woman without turning to face her, "I'm tired, I'm hungry, and I have a bullet in my leg. I'm not going anywhere. Do what you want, Stacy. I think we're even now."

"It's your funeral!" the older Valkyrie called after her, "or at least the first one." She added with a grumble. She walked around the front of the truck and noticed the partially hanging front bumper was now dragging the ground, and realized there might be a few bullet holes in it as well. It probably couldn't be relied on to get her around the block, let alone out of the colony. _Shit! They are going to track me down…What the hell am I going to do?_ So Stacey fell back into her lifelong habit of seeking out and sucking up to the strongest person she could find for both protection and power by proxy. She turned and ran to the stairwell after the young fae, "Hey! Wait for me!"

 _ **Lauren's Clinic…**_

"Mark, I'm sorry – I had no idea she was going to react like this! I didn't know when she said she said she was cutting me loose that she meant my entire family. I'll talk to her…er…grovel and…humbly beg her forgiveness tomorrow. Or catch that bitch Stacey myself, and bring her severed head as a peace offering."

"Don't you think that's a little extreme?" Lauren asked with a withering tone.

"No, I think that's a pretty good idea! She'd love that!" Mark grinned, but walked it back when the doctor shot eye daggers at him for encouraging the more vicious nature of the Succubus. "No, no – not the severed head part! But Evony realllyyyy wants this girl. And she does want her alive, that's what her men told me."

"Well, I need to get to it then. Dagny is still out there, but I'll need to change before I go looking for her." Bo gathered up her jacket and kissed Lauren briefly before asking her, "Are you ready to go, hon?"

"Oh, uh…I have to shut down here and give turn-over to the night manager…maybe half an hour to an hour…?" she replied with eyebrows raised hopefully.

"I can escort her home Bo, you can go ahead and leave." Mark added helpfully when he saw the crestfallen look on the brunette's face. Everyone in their family was acutely aware of her protective nature.

 _ **Lauren and Bo's apartment…**_

"WHOA! Nice place…" Stacey gave a low whistle, entirely free of sarcasm. The apparent lifestyle of her newly discovered sister was far more in tune with her own preference than that of Tamsin. She left the comforts of Valhalla to live an austere bohemian life filled with hardships, and was most happy living in a run-down hovel with a Succubus who didn't return her affections. _NOW I get why Dagny shacks up with the Succubus who doesn't love her! She didn't fall for Bo! Good for her! Sure as hell beats Tartarus!_ And it obviously was the Succubus' dwelling, given the pictures she perused on the mantle above the fireplace. Dagny was in a few of them, too - with Lauren and Bo, and a one grappling in the ring with the wolf she herself had tried to seduce (she had already forgotten his name.) "No wonder you are banging Bo!"

Dagny ignored her and was searching for something in a closet in the foyer. When she found the simple black doctor's bag, she brought it into the kitchen area and set it on the counter. She sat on one of the tall island chairs and slowly propped her wounded leg on another. "What kind of medical training did you have Stacey?"

She turned her attention back to her host, "Oh, I took Emergency Combat Medical Training in Valkyrie High! I got a 'D;' BUT - I think it's because the teacher didn't like me." She frowned.

"Why, because she didn't sleep with you, and instead graded you on your ability?" the younger Valkyrie blurted out, but then regretted it immediately when her 'guest' looked sullen. _Ouch, I think that one hit a little too close to home for her…_ Deliberately provocative quips were not going to get the bullet out of her leg, and she needed to be in top fighting shape. "Never mind, you have more training than me. I need your help now!"

"OK!" her mood shifted, and she hurried into the kitchen asking, "Do you have any hard liquor? Oh, this'll do!" She fetched an expensive bottle of single malt scotch Dagny knew Lauren kept on hand for Dyson's infrequent visits from a glass fronted cabinet.

"Stacey, we don't need that; there is anti-septic in the kit." The young blonde was pulling sterile packaged scalpels, hemostats, and gauze out of the bag and onto the island.

But her contingency medic disregarded her and slid the bottle to her, "No, dummy, you need a drink. You've been injured and you need some nourishment. I could use a drink, too. I cast a _lot_ of doubt today. Just can't over-do it – then it takes more energy out of you to recover. Unless you pass out for awhile."

 _So Valkyrie need sleep and alcohol! So much for all those sleepless nights staying awake to read and study to get stronger…_ The young fae thought, as she worked on cleaning the now drying blood from her calf wound. _"_ Well, grab us some…or just do that!" she had looked up to see that Stacey had foregone glasses and was chugging from a bottle of equally expensive vodka. Something in the wound caught on the gauze and caused a sharp pain in her leg, and she turned her full attention back to it. "Ssshiitttt! That hurt!" she hissed as she examined it more closely.

Stacey hurried over to her side to take a look at her 'patient,' but looked up quickly to order her to drink. Dagny needed no further encouragement as the blood began flowing out with her pain, and she drank straight from the bottle as her 'doctor' gave her prognosis, "Good new – not deep since it's just a fragment from a spent casing; the round got shredded when it went through the tailgate. Bad news – the jagged edges cause more pain than a through and through shot would." She took another drink herself before opening a scalpel and hemostat package.

"Wait - shouldn't you wash up and put on surgical gloves?" Dagny asked, putting a hand on her shoulder to stop her. She lived with a doctor, after all. And she had seen hospital dramas on TV; these simple hygienic medical practices should be evident to every adult.

The older Valkyrie looked up and seemed insulted, "Bitch, please – you are a VALKYRIE! Not some flimsy human! Do you want me to get this painful thing out of you or not?!"

Dagny bit her lip and nodded, then hissed when Stacey gingerly spread the wound open with one hand as she carefully made a few small slices with the scalpel to make the extraction easier. She traded the scalpel for a hemostat and warned her patient, "OK, not gonna lie – THIS is gonna hurt!" She latched onto the tiny end of the copper jacketing protruding from the wound and carefully tried to ease it out of the flesh it was imbedded into without fragmenting it further. But that involved a bit of wiggling, causing the girl to dig her fingers deep into Stacey's shoulder as she cursed loudly and pounded the counter with her other hand. "Hold STILL!" she ordered, then proceeded more gently. "And stop being such a baby...you're dishonoring Tamsin's legacy - if she really was your mother." she murmured. Tamsin was a legend among the younger Valkyrie, long before she had risen.

The injured Valkyrie endured the pain with less drama now, and once Stacey had extracted the projectile, dark red blood flowed freely in its absence indicating there were no further foreign bodies in her flesh to block it. She piled gauze on the open wound and began taping it tightly in place to apply direct pressure and stop the bleeding. Dagny asked her in disbelief, "Aren't you going to suture it closed?"

"Sorry; how to do stitches was in the second semester! Can't really continue in that class with a 'D,' ya know!" she apologized, the consoled her, "Anyways, the hot doctor can finish the job – so what's your plan? Wanna kill them this time?"

"No – whoever hired the Morrigan to find you will just send more people. We need to cut off the source..." She limped to Lauren's work station and logged in under her profile. She navigated to a local news webpage and saw an image of the detective that had accosted them earlier. He had given out his direct number for tips, just as they heard on the radio. _He wants the reward to himself – that's why he went rouge!_ She picked up the landline phone and made sure it had a dial tone before grinning at Stacey, "You said you were good at some things…meaning more than one. How good are you at acting?"

Stacey drew herself up in pride, "WAAAYYYY better than your mother! We all have our strengths!" But once she was told what to say and how to act, she was confused. "Wait – you WANT him, and any other thugs he brings with him to KNOW you live here?"

"Oh _**yeah**_! I may be a baby fae; but I've got mad skills! Once he looks up the address, he will know Bo lives here, too, and I doubt he'll want to risk running into her. He needs a little encouragement. Let me just check my hunch, first." She dialed the receptionist's desk at Lauren's clinic and asked if Bo was there. After being assured she was, she hung up. "Fifteen minutes, or more, is the mark." She dialed the detective and, handing the phone to her actress, yet huddling close enough to her both sides of the conversation, she let her take over.

The older Valkyrie smirked and effortlessly launched into a fantastical tale of how she was kidnapped by Dagny and taken to Bo's apartment. She further explained that she was saved from the detective and his men only because they intended to sacrifice her to Hades, that she was injured and couldn't travel on her own, and that she would rather take her chances with them. She begged him to help her and asked how long it would take him to get there. When he stutteringly told her he couldn't take on the Succubus no matter how many men he had with her, she informed him that she had feigned unconsciousness and heard that they were leaving to gather their dark followers. "Please, tell me – how soon can you get here?" Stacey was sobbing now, and even Dagny was impressed when the man capitulated and said he could be there in half an hour or less – but she needed to give him a time so he could avoid 'The Dark Queen.'

"Wait…let me look out of the door…." she held microphone of the phone receiver and momentarily silently laughed with her companion, "…they both left! They said they would meet up back here midnight! Hurry, please! At least I know you won't kill me! I don't want to **die** tonight!" He assured her he was on his way, and she hung up. They both laughed aloud uncontrollably now. "Please, woman – you cannot possibly think he believes that story!"

Dagny dried her eyes, now watering with her exuberant laughter, "People believe what they want to believe, Stacey, if the emotional investment is strong enough."

 **A/N: RE my review to another author: I'm not complaining about the fandom being almost exclusively Doccubus – just pointing out the obvious in regards to their expectations of readership numbers. It's just a FACT, nothing more, nothing less in regards to readership statistics. If you don't write to and for a particular ship you won't get the hardcore shippers to read your story, especially if it isn't for the majority ship. If you choose not to pick a major ship to write for, you can't expect the numbers you would get if you did. That doesn't mean your story isn't greatly appreciated by readers who don't ship or are open to reading stories outside of what they do ship. They just happen to be the minority. I don't expect the same number of readers as if I did write a Valkubus or Doccubus story, and expressed that to the author in my review of their story in order to encourage them to continue writing.**

 **My story has Doccubus in it, and will continue to do so – but there are other arcs as well. So, if you are reading and want a story in which Doccubus is the central or sole focus, there are some really talented Doccubus writers out there like SomewhatAddicted, TheLostFoodie, WritingsSux, Sydny563, MustbetheLabCoat – to name a few if that is what you are looking for. No disrespect to any Doccubus author I left out, but these are a few of the ones I know, respect and can recall of the top of my head. And you are legion – too many to list. So, check out them and their favorite authors lists for a good Doccubus story. Happy reading, you won't be disappointed. I hold no animosity to any of the ships, but if you are looking for DyBo, Denzi, Wolfpants or CopDoc stories – not a lot of active writers anymore. I wish you luck. And I believe the Bo/Rainer ship is pretty much a ghost ship – a metaphorical** _ **Mary Celeste.**_

 **I don't expect the numbers that come with choosing a side and am comfortable with that. I don't have the support or protection that goes along with picking a team. But allegiance comes at a price and you must be loyal to your ship and follow their rules or incur their wrath. Which, coincidentally, is one of the themes of the story. And I prefer to read and write what I find interesting and laugh at what I find funny instead of rage against people I don't even know because they hold different beliefs than my 'team.' I got a lot of hate from some Valkubus shippers because I said the show would have been better if Tamsin was with Dyson (I could imagine her hilariously embarrassing him, and them slowly falling for each other anyway) or simply an annoying friend and ally for Bo. Believe that.**

 **I want to explore characters and their relationships to continue the drama in the canon that the show has established and explore dropped story arcs. Since the show has ended its run, the fandom has already begun to shrink; I feel no need to hasten its demise by engaging in shipping wars. If my motivation was to get as many readers as possible – I'd just write straight up Doccubus stories. But there are already so many of them out there, I want to write about things no one else has. It's not a popular position to take as a fanfic writer; I know it and I don't care. That's real talk, not a complaint. And that's all I have to say about it.**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Thank you for the kind reviews. I meant to post this last night, but nothing ever goes as planned. Little bit of tension this chapter as it hits the fan. Ever had a much older sibling who always tries to exert authority over you even when you were grown, or had a younger sibling you felt was too naive even though they were a young adult? Yeah, it's like that. Sooner or later, the dynamic has to evolve, even if the process is painful. Or is something else going on...**

Dawning of a Valkyrie

Chapter 15: Fight Club

"People believe what they want to believe, Stacey, if the emotional investment is strong enough. Desire can over-rule reason and logic so easily." Her train of thought was nearly overwhelmed by her own experience with this altruism - the crushing realization that she had deluded herself against all reason into believing she would always live a happy-go-lucky life with Kenzi. The effervescent Russian had given her such a happy childhood she never dwelled on who and what she was and what that might mean in regards to her own destiny. She sighed, "No offense to your Oscar-worthy performance, but he is just an incompetent idiot ruled by his greed. He can't resist." Dagny informed her.

"Hmmm, yeah. I guess he is. But now what?" she asked as the young fae headed straight for the refrigerator and began wolfing down whatever she could find to eat that was convenient.

"Nuffing…" she explained with her mouth full and continued eating. Stacey was flabbergasted and offered arguments in favor of running away that where ignored by her hungry companion. After about 5 minutes, she paused and took another drink of the scotch. With a sigh, she finally explained "I need to call Bo." She did, and informed her she was home safely, but the detective on the news was still after her and knew where she was since he had her driver's license. And then she ended the call abruptly.

Stacey folded her arms, now understanding the full plan. "Aannnddd, what if you misjudged your timing?"

She shrugged nonchalantly, "Then we improvise, adapt, and overcome. I'm up for a rematch, and you could use some practice. Or we can watch Bo beat the hell out of them if she gets here first. Win-win. I haven't have THIS much fun in _years!_ "

Bo had raced home after the brief call she received just as she was exiting the clinic, the journey taking longer than normal with the partially flooded roads and some still not functioning street lights. She pulled into her garage and parked her beloved yellow '69 Camaro after slowly making a single pass around the few cars parked in it. The only vehicle that caught her attention was a beat-up 4X4 she knew must be the one Stacey was driving. _It's been 10 years…but it sort of looks like Tamsin's. Whatever happened to her truck anyway? I never really thought about it until now, but strange how a something as simple as a long forgotten truck suddenly has meaning now. Wait, if Tamsin_ _ **did**_ _gave it to Stacey, when she could possibly have done that? Tamsin still had it when her and Lauren went to the Dal the day she found out…about Dagny…And she was never alone after that until – oh shit; if that bitch is working with Jack she will BEG for death before I'm done with her!_ She parked next to it, and got out to investigate. The bullet holes in the sides of it and the blood in the bed made her hitch her breath and run towards the stairwell/ elevator lobby until screeching tires demanded her attention. The non-descript blue sedan had stopped blocking the exit and was now vomiting four men with guns from it.

"She's on the top floor! Let's move people!" the driver, whom Bo recognized from the news report as the one who put out the BOLO on her sister, informed his men.

She stood silently in the doorway and waited for them, her anger now dangerously creeping close to the boiling point. Her eyes glowed brilliantly, brighter than the overhead lights in the garage and her hair seemed to be blown back by a non-existent breeze, her face a mask of barely contained rage.

And the lead detective who limped ahead of them with a cane in one hand and pistol in the other recognized that, as soon as he was close enough to see her. He immediately fell to his knees and groveled. "Please! I didn't mean any harm! I just wanted the bounty on the fugitive Valkyrie! I am Unaligned, like you! My Queen! I beg your mercy! I have a family!" he threw himself prostrate on the ground despite his injury and sobbed as his men used the diversion to betray him and run for the hills.

As his few remaining followers backed out of the garage with his vehicle, Bo regained control of herself and realized she needed him alive to get her sister out of danger. "You WILL call up your media friends, and you WILL tell them both Valkyrie have been cleared of all charges and suspicion. And then you WILL leave this colony. If you don't, the next time I see you it will be to witness your last breath." As he stood up and tried to thank her, she roughly grabbed him and took Dagny's license, his badge and police identification out of his wallet to get a positive ID on him and make sure he would never be in a position of authority in the colony again. "Vanish!" she hissed, as she stuffed the leather wallet back into his coat. He hobbled away without another word.

As she watched him struggle to get away, she noticed that he had lost control of his bladder and had wet himself in fear of her. She closed her eyes and grimaced as she thought, _Dyson was right – the Unaligned fae are chaotic and need a leader – and a code of conduct. And they look to me for leadership – even though it seems some of them see me more as some vengeful goddess instead. Maybe I should attend these council meetings, and see what is going on, even if I don't accept a position…_

But there were more pressing matters to address at the moment, and Dagny didn't say whether Stacey was with her or not before she hung up. She raced up the stairs, not bothering to call the elevator. When she reached her apartment door, she heard the faint sound of music coming from the other side. Silently, she unlocked to door and pulled her dagger out of her jacket. She hadn't bothered to strap it to her leg as she was still wearing the borrowed scrubs from the clinic. Pushing the door open slowly, she moved cautiously through the foyer and into the open concept living room/kitchen area.

Lauren would surely not approve of the mess – nearly empty liquor bottles (yet no glasses), food containers, her medical kit and instruments and bloody gauze littered the island. Two jackets and a pair of boots and worn sneakers were thrown haphazardly on the floor. There was no sign of a struggle, other than the blood, and the cheerful music turned her attention to the second floor. She crept swiftly yet stealthily up the stairs, now hearing muffled voices originating from behind the closed door to her sister's room. And she could hear _singing…_ she grabbed the doorknob and twisted it. _Is that_ _ **Stacey**_ _singing?_ She thought as she heard her sister order the ditzy Valkyrie to "knock it off and get dressed!" Bo pushed the door open a crack, looking at the reflection in the dresser mirror. Stacey was standing on the on the bed facing the closet and Dagny, who was searching through her remaining clothes. Both of them had wet hair, and were clad only in bras and panties; the pair Stacey wore seemed too large for her. Not noticing they were being watched, Stacy hopped off the bed and approached her sister, who remained facing away from both Bo and the older Valkyrie.

"You're like an angelllll…." She sang along and ran her hands down the girl's back. Dagny shoved her away with her butt as her hands were busy searching through the clothes. Stacey was undeterred and pulled her close with both hands on her waist, "…Got me feelin' like a devillll…."

"Cut it OUT!" The younger Valkyrie turned in her embrace to look her in the eyes to show the full extent of her frustration, but paused as something behind her caught her eye. The door was cracked open; she felt sure she had closed it completely. Her eyes darted to the mirror as she watched the door open slowly to reveal the Succubus behind it, as she stashed her dagger back into its sheath.

But Stacey was oblivious to what was going on as the door opened and continued singing merrily along "Wanna give you something, if you promise that you won't tell!"

"BO?!" Dagny exclaimed, ignoring the other blonde as she stared at the intruder in shock.

"Yes Bo - don't tell Bo, duh!" but following taller blonde's gaze, she scooted around behind her quickly once she saw the seething Succubus. "Oh _shit_!"

"Stacey, WHAT…have you done…to my SISTER?!" she took a few menacing steps towards the pair of scantily clad Valkyrie.

"Whoa, whoa, hold on…" Dagny held her arms out protectively, giving her cowardly colleague enough courage to blurt out a saucy answer.

"Nothing she didn't want me to!" the short haired blonde quipped and then made the suggestiveness of it a certainty by sticking her tongue out of the side of her mouth. Then the obvious dawned on her, "Wait, she's your _**sister**_?"

"Evony be damned – I'm going to kill you myself!" Bo darted forward to grab her from her place of safety behind Dagny, but the young fae blocked her path and held her back physically.

"Bo, everything's all right – I can explain…" she began, but just as her sister curbed her murderous intentions her new friend could not keep her mouth shut and threw gasoline on the glowing embers of the Succubus' anger.

"Yeah, Dags! Explain to us why Bo screwed her sister _and_ her sister's mother. Is it some Succubus sexual bingo thing? Bet you get a lot of points for a mother/daughter combo, and bonus points for a sister!"

"You're _**dead!**_ " Bo was raging now and lunged forward; Dagny had to grabble with her to keep her from wrapping her hands around the shorter Valkyrie's throat.

She managed to grunt out to her Valkyrie sister, "Stacey, SHUT UP!" And Stacey finally helped her efforts by keeping herself out of range, and her mouth shut.

"I am NOT having sex with my sister!" Bo gave up the struggle, and pointed a finger over her sister's shoulder at her intended victim. "YOU are the one who slept with both Tamsin AND her daughter!" she accused.

"I never slept with Tamsin!" she sat down on the bed suddenly sullen. "She always looked down at me, because I'm a first life baby. And when she wanted me to leave Valkyrie High with her when Freya expelled her, I couldn't go with her. **I** was the one who betrayed her and Acacia to Freya because I was jealous. _**I**_ took her place as head girl and valedictorian, and graduated to be the right hand of Freya. And what did it got me – not only banished, but on the run with a shaved head and begging the Succubus and the other daughter of Hades for help!" She dropped her head in her hands, hiding her face in shame.

 _My God, is she going to…cry?_ Bo thought as both she and her sister released their grips on each other and walked over to stand in front of the Valkyrie in astonishment over her unexpected confession. None of them spoke as they waited to see what further revelations their guest would give the next. When she simply sat there, not crying yet mute and immobile, the Succubus took the opportunity to grab her sister by the arm to escort her out of the room, "I think we need a sidebar, _LOVER_!" she hissed in her ear with a grimace. _Dagny's got some 'splaining to do!_

But the younger girl pulled her arm away and remained in place, "Not now! We're going to have some company soon! Those guys that are after us are coming here!" she informed her in irritation.

The brunette looked at her with a self-satisfied smirk, "Oh, right. The guys that were after you two, they must be the ones I ran into in the parking garage." She pulled out the detective's ID, "Look familiar."

"Ahhh, yup – that's him." She smiled, "Good job, Bo! Bet that asshole won't come after me anymore."

Her expression gave Bo some consternation, and she furrowed her eyebrows in suspicion. Dagny displayed the same self-satisfied smirk Tamsin gave when she was proven right about something everyone else had disagreed with her over. "Yeah, he said he would retract everything. OK, that's resolved - let's talk."

Again, the young Valkyrie shook her off. _Why the hell is she looking at me like that? Is she pulling some power politics bullshit or something? Because I am not going to talk with her standing in my underwear with a bleeding gunshot wound._ "Since we are out of immediate danger, I need to take a shower and get dressed. And so does Stacey. I am not going to stand here in my underwear and listen to one of your lectures!" When her sister began to object, she shut her down the fastest way she knew how, "…and shouldn't you call Lauren and let her know it's safe to come home? She's probably worried sick!" Dagny walked to the closet and hurriedly snatched some clothes off the hangers. Heaving them over one arm, she gently took hold of Stacey's left upper arm and guided her to her feet. When she looked back at the brunette, the expression that had set her off was replaced by one of that betrayed the Succubus' conflicted emotions, and she softened her approach, "And you should probably call Mark, too, and let him know everything's all right now. I bet he feels really bad about what happened today. Stacey's been on the run for a long time – she doesn't even know why. I'll take care of her, I owe her that much. And then we can talk. I promise." She smiled; but it was tinged with sorrow that was reflected in her eyes.

As she walked out of the room with her Valkyrie sister, Bo noticed the bandage on her leg. It was fully dark red with blood now that their struggle had caused it to bleed once again. A small rivulet trickled down towards her ankle. "Dagny! You're hurt!" she exclaimed in concern.

"I'll live. Call Lauren, Bo!" she answered without turning around.

But Bo stood there a moment, wondering what just happened and trying to figure out why it bothered her, other than the fact Stacey was in her home of course. Still, she called Lauren quickly, and told her the quickest safe route home, still nagged by an unnamed feeling until she disconnected the call. _Since when does my younger sister tell ME what to do?! She doesn't know Stacey the way I do!_

She hurried out into the hall and stopped outside the bathroom door, groaning in frustration. Given the conversation she just had with her, it would be overly awkward to walk in on her naked and in the shower. _Why in the name of holy hell are they in the bathroom TOGETHER! Then again – I did just threaten Stacey's life; Dagny probably doesn't trust me to be alone with her new 'friend.' Ssooo…Evony said Stacey stole something important from the Mistress of Valhalla. But did she mean Freya or Acacia? Either way, I can't have Dagny getting caught in the cross-fire of a Valkyrie battle. Whatever that bitch wants from my sister, she is playing on Dagny's innocence and sympathy! I'm getting to the bottom of this right_ _ **now!**_ She dug out her cell phone to call the Morrigan. It was late and Evony was angry with her; but she knew the leader of the Dark fae would gladly take this call. And what better way to make things up to Lauren, Mark and Vex - killing two birds with one stone. "Oh, I got this one. Winner, winner, chicken dinner."

Dagny was surprised that she felt more awkward now showering with Stacey than when they first met. Now that they knew more about each other (and were intimate with each other), it seemed strange. They showered quickly, and once they were drying off, Stacey finally came out of her fugue state and broke the silence, "So, your mother was Tamsin and your father is Hades. Huh. No wonder you are so powerful."

The younger Valkyrie straightened herself up as she was pulling up her panties, "What do you mean; you know far more about Valkyrie power and Valhalla than I do?"

Her companion turned her back as she finished putting on her underclothes as if to hide her expression as she admitted, "But you are a really good student; you're smart and you inherited a shit ton of power from your parents. My mother was some idiot 3rd life Valkyrie who fell in love with a human on the battlefield on her first war mission. It was a miracle I got to be Freya's right hand on my first life. I'm barely over 80 years old; basically one step above a baby fae."

 _ **I**_ _don't think that it was skill, luck or providence that got her promoted…she was put into that position for a_ _ **reason.**_ _She must have a quality Freya needed in trusted adjutant; but if I was in Freya's shoes - I don't see it. At least not yet._ The younger Valkyrie thought, _But hold on –_ "Stacey – why do you think your father was human? You can't be fae unless both of your parents were also fae! Maybe he was…" she tried to think of a powerful yet subtle fae that could possibly be her parent because the only thing that leapt to mind was a cabbit.

"No, he was human – I had to hear about it almost every day in Valkyrie High, _believe_ me. But not all of us know our parents or remember them after our first life." She sighed, and turned around to pull a clean shirt that hung over the sink. When noticed Dagny's intense green-eyed stare was boring into hers, she explained, "I knew him, Dags, before he sent me to be with my own kind. And a child of a Valkyrie is always female and _always_ a Valkyrie. The only thing we inherit from our fathers is how much they can add or subtract from our mother's ability, at least I think that's how it works with us – we aren't like the earth bound fae. We are eternal." She continued to dress, thinking the matter closed and embarrassed at having to discuss it in the first place since she knew so little about the topic. Academics were never her strong suite.

"So, we don't inherit any extra ability from our father's genes?" Dagny asked, grabbing her own shirt and pulling it on.

"Well, who knows? We are all different – even Valkyrie. We all have our strengths! Every species evolves; I DO remember that from school. One day, you'll find your way to Valhalla and learn everything you need to know." She said as she put her borrowed faded and holey jeans. They were a bit too baggy and far too long to fit.

"They won't send someone to take me there?" the younger blonde asked, incredulous that the Valkyrie wouldn't send someone to collect their own young as her sister had feared.

"No, they don't kidnap the fledglings. You have to prove yourself by finding the gateway. I was lucky – I didn't find the gateway, but I found Tamsin after her rebirth. She was banished in a previous life, but Freya offered her a chance to redeem herself by attending Valkyrie High. She insisted I should be able to go with her. Do you have a belt?"

Not really satisfied with that answer, but sure her companion had no further insight on the subject, Dagny nudged her head back to the door, "Yeah, c'mon." She opened the door, one pant leg of her flannel lounge pants rolled up to the knee to keep it from being stained by her calf wound still oozing pink blood from the now water-logged bandage. As they walked back to her bedroom she added, "And don't call me 'Dags!'"

Dagny found a belt that would fit the smaller blonde as she droned on about how Acacia usurped Freya's wishes and taught her students, especially Tamsin, how to use their powers. The younger Valkyrie thought it was strange, but let her go on without comment. She was about to go downstairs to get some fresh gauze for her leg when Bo entered her room with Lauren's medical kit. "Sit down, Dagny. I'll change that bandage for you until Lauren gets here."

She did as she was asked, noticing the new business-like attitude of her sister as their vacuous guest pursued her DVD collection. Recognizing that Bo was once again taking charge of her actions, she proceeded with her own agenda. "Right, let's get down to brass tacks: I already know my mother was in love with you and you didn't love her. I've known for awhile. I don't care." Her sister looked up sharply from her task, not fully processing what the girl had said to her. And so she went on, "And now that I found out you were banging her, I understand why you didn't want to talk about it. I get it. You felt guilty about it and that's why you agreed when she dumped her spawn of Hades on you before she died. So you can stop tap-dancing around the topic and we can move on to more important issues."

 _What the HELL has gotten into her? She seems…different somehow._ Bo thought, glancing out of the corner of her eye at the other Valkyrie. She was reading the back of the 'Gladiator' DVD case while holding the original 'Conan the Barbarian' movie, apparently trying to decide which she should watch. _Stacey couldn't have anything to do with this, could she?_ She was brought out of her thoughts when the young Valkyrie snatched the gauze pad out of her hand and began tending to her injury herself. She turned her eyes back to her sister. "Dagny…it wasn't like that. I mean…" _Great, where do I begin?_ "She wanted me to take care of you because you're _family!_ Family takes care of each other. We-"

"- get over it already and move right along to the next topic. This one…" she indicated Stacey, who had sat down and was now trying to turn on the computer, "…saved me from the people at the restaurant. She was looking for Tamsin, and when I told her she was dead – she wanted your help. So I let her believe we were, um, _closer_ than we are so she would help me get home. She told me you were pissed off at her and Tamsin the last time she saw you, which from what I gather is right before Tamsin died, so I had to convince her I could get _you_ to help her. I thought she might ditch me once she found out I was a powerless baby fae. She is banished from Valhalla and has been hunted for years - she doesn't know why. And she **is** my Valkyrie sister."

"Wow." Bo was flabbergasted and sat back a bit to re-set her chaotic emotions. _She is not as powerless as she is claiming, but she doesn't know what I saw on that recording._ Once the dominate concern congealed into a coherent thought, she gave voice to it, "Dagny, I'm not helping Stacey with _anything_! She tried to **kill** Lauren, and this time she stole something from Valhalla. I am not going to stand in the way of Evony's goons while they hunt down a known criminal even the Valkyrie are after. And I don't think your mother would want you anywhere near either one of them!" she whispered.

Dagny finished her task, and shrugged when she looked her sister in her dark brown eyes, "OK, fair enough. I don't blame you – you have beef with Stacey. **I'll** help her; It's my obligation anyway – not yours. I'll go talk with Evony and straighten this all out."

The Succubus rose off the bed slowly, shocked at the young Valkyrie's lack of emotion and overly pragmatic attitude. "I forbid it. And if your mother where here, she would, too."

This finally elicited an emotional response in the form of a bitter laugh, "Yeah, riiighhttt. Look – you weren't even close to Tamsin. You know very little about her, even when she was living with you! So you have no idea what she would want, obviously. And BT Dubs – Even if you were super tight with her, I don't give a shit what Tamsin would or wouldn't want me to do. It's my life…" She got off the bed to face her sister and draw herself up to her full height, getting into Bo's personal space. "…and she's DEAD!"

"Fine. Then **I** am telling you, as your older sister – stay away from that bitch!" They stared at each other for a few seconds; unaware that their argument had finally caught the attention of the short-haired Valkyrie. Both of the other women thinking how much the daughter of Tamsin looked like her mother when she was pissed off.

"Uh, hey…" Stacey began cautiously. _Oh shit – two daughters of Hades spooling each other up over me, I don't want to be collateral damage…I'll take my chances with the Bounty hunters. I didn't steal anything from Valhalla. That's just suicide! Maybe I can make a deal with this 'Evony.'_ She thought as she stood up and announced, "…you know – you were right, Dagny. I think we're even. And Bo doesn't owe me anything, so….I should be leaving now!"

"Stacey, _**sit down**_!" the younger Valkyrie ordered, effortlessly doubting her older Valkyrie sister into obedience. She plopped immediately down unto the chair in front of the computer.

Her sister watched in awe, and when she turned back to face Dagny, the young girl was smirking at her, one eyebrow raised in anticipation of what the Succubus might say next. And Bo knew exactly what to say to wipe away a Valkyrie's self-satisfaction, "Oh – I get. You think you are in _love_ with her because she had sex with you!" she crossed her arms and waited for her to react.

But this didn't get the expected angry denials or embarrassed response she predicted. Instead her sister laughed in amusement, eyebrows drawn together in confusion, "What?! Oh gods of the underworld – do you think I am stupid enough not only to fall in love, but fall in love with someone who doesn't love _me_? Please, I am not as pathetic as Tamsin!" she rolled her eyes, not expecting as strong a reaction as she received from her sister.

The slap Bo delivered was too quick to see coming and powerful enough to snap her head to the side. When she slowly turned to face her sister once again, her entire face was red with fury with an even brighter red hand print highlighting her left cheek. "THAT was for your mother. You can hit me back if you don't honestly think you deserved it."

"You're right. I deserved that." Dagny snarled. But Bo was surprised when her own head whipped to the right, a red hand print on her own left cheek. She recovered quickly to look at the girl with an expression of pure vitriol, eyes glowing brilliant blue and waited for an explanation.

"THAT was for lying to me. You slapped me because _you_ felt insulted – not because I insulted Tamsin. And go right ahead and hit me back if you _honestly_ don't think that's true." Dagny's body was shaking with anger. And the dim glow the Succubus thought she saw on the police cruiser video was back in the girl's eyes and it was no optical illusion.

" **Bo! Dagny!"** Lauren barked out with authority from the doorway to break up the showdown.

But before she could continue, Mark commented on the situation. "Holy Sibling Rivalry, Batman!"

As all eyes in the room turned to the new arrivals in the doorway, Lauren noticed the third person and acknowledged her, "STACEY?!" And things went rapidly sideways from there.

"Hey, the Hot Doctor!" the short-haired Valkyrie chirped cheerily from her seat at Dagny's desk.

Bo turned from the stalemated battle with her sister and focused her ire on their 'guest,' " _ **Stacey…"**_ she began menacingly and took a few steps in her direction before Lauren intervened.

" _BO_!" the doctor warned and moved physically to intervene, not wanting to witness a murder in their own home.

"Mark…" the young Valkyrie pleaded, leaning down and placing a hand on the bed to support herself.

"Lauren – I'm not going to kill her.." the Succubus began explaining before her voice was drown out.

" **DAGNY**!" the young shifter exclaimed and rushed to help her lay back on the bed.

Bo turned to investigate and immediately urged her wife into action, "Lauren…!"


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Thanks for reading/reviewing. Enjoy the long weekend, those of you that get one. And for everyone that has to work, well – at least you'll have some fanfic updates to read.**

Dawning of a Valkyrie

Chapter 16: Stand Alone - Together

As the doctor's attention followed her wife's gaze she shifted straight into trauma physician mode, "Dagny!" she hurried over to the young Valkyrie to access her condition. She was obviously in some sort of physical distress. "OK, just lay down. Talk to me, sweetie! What's going on?"

The Succubus lingered near her sister's bedside at a reasonable distance to allow the doctor to work unimpeded, the fight the sisters had engaged in only a hot minute earlier now seemed unimportant and petty.

"Stacey!" they heard Mark call out, and the couple shot a quick glance in his direction as he darted for the door. The other Valkyrie had taken advantage of her Valkyrie sister's illness to make an escape attempt and was quickly blocked by the shifter. "Ah, ah ah! No you don't!" he growled, eyes yellow with the power of his panther.

"Lauren, what's wrong with her?" Bo asked quietly. Her sister's face was flushed a even more than it had been during their argument, and she could see blood spots in her the whites of her eyes when Lauren pulled back her sagging eyelids to investigate.

"She's in a hypertensive crisis; I need to lower her blood pressure – stat! I need my-" Bo had anticipated her request and handed her the medical bag before she could complete the sentence. She pulled one of the girl's arms off her chest and held it at her side on the bed without being asked. Dr. Lewis quickly and efficiently wrapped a blood pressure cuff around her upper arm and prepared an injection while it inflated.

Bo's face was a mask of concern, while Lauren seemed to be unaffected by the sudden crisis. Years of training had taught her to compartmentalize her emotions in contingency situations to allow herself to focus fully on the job she needed to do. Her wife was envious of this trait, not knowing the toll delaying emotional responses took on those who engaged in the practice. She watched her in silence, and was once again in awe of her skill and professionalism when the girl began to calm her rapid, shallow breathing and relax her tense body.

"Did you kill her? Because, you know, she'll come back…I think." Stacey attempted to console them the best way she knew how.

"Stacey, shut UP!" Mark, Bo, and Lauren told her in unison.

Dagny drew in a hitching, but deep breath, and Bo turned back to her and clasped her hand, "Hey…hey…" her sister's eyes opened more fully as she breathed easier, "…there you are! You scared us for a minute!"

Her blonde sister's eyes lolled a bit, and the Succubus wasn't sure it was a feeble attempt by her to roll them or was a symptom of her unexplained condition. "Bo…" She swallowed thickly before completing her thought, "… I'm fine. Wanna re-match?" She chuckled, weakly and drunkenly until it dissolved into a short coughing fit. When it ended, she seemed more fully aware, but still subdued and sedated.

"Dagny, you're going to feel a little woozy for awhile. But you are out of danger for the moment. I need you to take it easy and rest." Dr. Lewis ordered as she took the stethoscope out of her ears and placed it back in her bag. Bo had never even noticed her taking it out and using it, but her attention was fully on her wife when the blonde doctor stood up from her patient to inform her, "She needs to stay calm for awhile. It could be a congenital heart condition; and even though I know very little about Valkyrie physiology that seems unlikely. I suspect it is a symptom of the typical devolving that occurs pre-Dawning, but I need to run some tests to eliminate poison, bacteria, or virus pathogens as the cause."

The Succubus gave an accusatory sidelong look at Stacey, who was pouting across the room with her arms wrapped around herself protectively. She did have the look of a person who had been on the lam for years because of a nefarious past now regretted. Bo hypothesized that hers was a past that made her a likely carrier for any number of fae cooties, though she doubted the Valkyrie would knowingly poison her sister. "Check for fae venereal diseases, first."

"Veneral…" Lauren narrowed her eyes in confusion until she followed the direction of her wife's gaze, and saw the shame-faced person she was staring at. "…Ohhhh. Right." _It's a miracle Bo didn't kill her immediately…_

Bo turned her eyes back to the doctor, "And she has an injury to her leg that needs attention, as well."

"What happened to her leg?" Lauren asked, brushing her hair out of her eyes to reveal the concern expressed by her furrowed brows.

Bo sighed and admitted, "I don't know – but it can't be too serious. Superficial gunshot wound, I'm guessing. It didn't seem to slow her down a bit when she stopped me from throttling Stacey. But how is this related to devolving before the Dawning? I didn't have any symptoms like this!"

"I don't know; the fae are so secretive about the Dawning, but it is different for each species. Even the invitation process and what they experience in the ceremony is completely unpredictable and varies from one individual to another." Lauren pretty much summed up everything anyone in their family knew about the mysterious fae coming-of-age process.

"You're right, of course. I never knew Tamsin to get sick a day in her life. She ate moldy things out of the fridge I'm sure would have poisoned a bull elephant! This has to be the beginning of Valkyrie devolving pre-Dawning." Bo offered helpfully.

"Hmmm, yes." Lauren thought back to when Tamsin confessed to eating the years old Cheezies from Bo's vending machine, and seemed to relish the experience. "Tamsin was really proud of her ability to eat and drink whatever she wanted. And of course, getting hit with Zeus' lightning bolt and surviving indicates a healthy constitution." She added with a nod.

"Wow! Tamsin lived through a lightning bolt from Zeus!" Mark exclaimed with admiration.

"Uh, wait – when did this happen? And how do you know about it? Since when were you two so close?" Bo asked with suspicion and head cocked to the side.

"Uh…well, the night of Zeus' party. And, we – talked…a lot. Especially when you were…you know…off somewhere – else. I learned to…uh-hum…appreciate her candor." The shocked look on her wife's face belied the fact that she never considered how much time Dr. Lewis had spent alone with the Valkyrie. And it hit her just then that might be why Tamsin's daughter had such an easy going rapport with her.

 _Tamsin_ _ **did**_ _open up when she was alone with me and didn't have an audience to play to._ The Succubus thought, _I never thought she might confide in other people, or listen to their problems!_ "Really, so what else did you two discuss, _candidly_?" Bo asked more in curiosity than anything, but she did feel a little jealous that her wife's wannabe rival ended up being a close confidant to her if she was completely honest with herself.

But Lauren shut her down, "OK, look – I'll tell you all about it…later. I need to take some blood samples. Why don't you escort our guest downstairs? Something tells me those slap marks on both your faces has something to do with Stacey being here, and Dagny needs to keep her anger in check. And so do you." Lauren ordered, fully back in professional mode.

"You are abso-lutely right, Dr. Lewis!" She smiled slyly, then leaned down and patted the sedated girl's hand, "Get some rest."

"Bo-" the young Valkyrie spoke up before she could leave, "…I'm sorry."

"Me, too. I'm just glad you're alright." she smiled back at her before turning and pecking out a quick kiss of reassurance to her wife's lips. Gesturing to Mark, she stepped in front of the short-haired Valkyrie, and ordered her, "Let's go downstairs, Rapunzel, and you can tell us who cut your lovely long blonde hair."

Stacey started to protest, but one look at her new ally and Valkyrie sister informed her the girl would be of no help to her anytime soon. Resigned to her fate, she hung her head and allowed the Succubus and the dashing young man who had entered the room with the hot doctor to escort her out of the room and downstairs. On the way out, Mark gave the convalescing girl his wishes for a swift recovery and shot her a wink.

After the door clicked shut behind them, Lauren asked her patient while she carefully removed the bandaging, "So what happened to your leg?"

"I got shot. It was just a fragment; Stacey took it out." Dagny mumbled.

"Well, she didn't do too awful of a job of it – but it does need some sutures. I'll just give you a local anesthetic for the pain." She reached into her bag for some Novocain, but the Valkyrie stopped her with a feeble hand on her arm.

"No, it's OK. Stacey said I was dishonoring my mother's legacy earlier when she extracted the fragment. I need practice dealing with pain and hardships with whining about it, I guess. Anyways, that way you can get to the tests you wanted to run quicker." She reasoned.

"You can ' _practice not dishonoring your mother's legacy'_ later. I need you to stay calm, and putting you through more pain right now might trigger another attack." She prepared the injection, then added with a smile, "That reminds me of how your mother wanted to go out and help Bo in a battle while she was in labor about to give birth to you."

"Oh yeah?" the young Valkyrie commented hazily but made no further comments. She seemed to be concentrating on something other than their current conversation.

Lauren had regretted mentioning it, thinking the girl might begin questioning her further about the circumstances of how her mother ended up pregnant by Hades. _That conversation would_ _ **definitely**_ _cause her blood pressure to climb. Thank goodness she's off wool-gathering on some topic other than her mother. Could be the drugs, or maybe something that happened tonight is bothering her._ The doctor thought to herself as she cleaned the wound thoroughly and begin stitching it closed.

Once she had finished and was preparing to take some blood samples from the girl, she spoke up and told the doctor what was bothering her, "So, you think I'm starting to devolve now. I need to go through the Dawning soon, or else…"

Lauren patted her shoulder in reassurance, "Don't worry; Bo is going to talk with Evony, and maybe she can help you. And by the way – we saw your little 'incident' today from the police dashboard camera. Very impressive! I'd say you are as ready as you're going to be."

"And I have to help Stacey, too. She got me out of a tight spot, and helped my mother before she died. I don't know if I can help end her banishment, but I can at least stop the bounty hunters, once I pass the Dawning." She started to sit up after Dr. Lewis had finished taking blood samples and taped a piece of gauze over the needle mark.

The doctor gently encouraged her to lay back down with a hand on her shoulder, "Ah, ah – no! You still need to rest, and keep your blood pressure down! I'm going to call the clinic and have them prepare a tonic that will help slow the devolving process to give you more time. It's the same one Trick gave Bo before her own Dawning. I'll have an orderly deliver it here tonight, and then you can get up and out of bed tomorrow."

Dagny sighed, but did as she was told without arguing. "So much for waiting to find a Lodestar to help me." She mumbled to herself as Lauren made the brief call to her night manager. But the doctor had heard her grumbling disappointment and addressed it once she had disconnected her call.

"Listen, cheer up! I doubt any Lodestar out there could help a Valkyrie through her Dawning." The young fae's green eyes seemed less hazy as she looked into the warm brown eyes of the doctor, "If the fae are secretive about the process of the Dawning – the Valkyrie are even more tight-lipped about their lives. Valkyrie blood forbids them from revealing their secrets from anyone other than one of their own kind. And no matter what – if Stacey could pass her Dawning, I have every confidence that you will as well." The serious expression on her face confirmed the sincerity of her words.

But her young sister-in-law seemed unconvinced, given that her eyebrows were still furrowed with worry. "But, I don't know if Stacey has even gone through her Dawning! She might end up as an underfae – like **I** will!" Dagny exclaimed with an intensity that indicated the sedatives she was injected with were losing their effect. She sat up in the bed with a wild look in her eyes that belied the fact she was over-reacting to the situation which was out of line with her normal character, a classic symptom of devolving.

Dr. Lewis cursed the fast metabolism of the Valkyrie in her mind as she rechecked her patient's blood pressure. It was climbing once again, and before it could reach dangerous levels – she filled another syringe quickly. "Dagny, you have to stay calm – your tonic will be here soon! But in the mean time, the only thing I can do is control your symptoms. I'm going to give you another sedative."

Her patient nodded in submission, and lay back down with her eyes closed to concentrate on calming her breathing and heart rate as she felt the needle entering her arm once again this evening. As the warm, relaxing apathy once more spread through her body, she sighed. She felt the doctor's soft hand brushing the hair out of her face, and then a gentle motherly kiss on her forehead. She opened her eyes to find the woman gazing at her.

Lauren smiled fondly at her and clasped one of her hands with both of hers, "I take it back – you can practice honoring your mother's legacy right now. Her legacy isn't enduring pain without crying or otherwise acknowledging it. It's facing challenges head-on; even if the odds are against you and you are fully aware and terrified of the consequences of failure, or success. It's doing what you believe deep down is honorable and just, no matter the price you have to pay and even if everyone you know and trust advises you otherwise. Even if you have to stand alone against an army of your enemies, or your own friends in order to do the right thing. THAT is your mother's legacy. I know you'll do her proud, and wherever she is now – she'll know it, too."

Tamsin's daughter smiled sadly back at her, and looked as if she was fighting back tears by biting her lower lip when the doorbell rang and interrupted the touching moment. "Lauren – wait!" she choked out. But the doctor was already out of her grasp and rushing to the door.

Lauren turned to answer her just before she left the room, "That must be your tonic, Dagny. The sooner you get it, the better."

"Please stay with me, Lauren!" she begged, and the doctor felt torn – but resolute enough to value her health over her emotional needs at the moment.

"I'll be right back. I promise. This is important!" She hurried out the door and down the stairs only to be met with a strange and unexpected scene that halted her in her tracks at the bottom of the stairwell. _What is_ _ **he**_ _doing here?_ The man in skins and furs from the police dash cam video was standing in the doorway and conversing with Bo and Mark. She recognized him as the one who had been doubted into shooting the detective in the leg. Even so, the Succubus and the shifter seemed relaxed and unafraid of him; and they were _smiling_! She froze and waited for them to continue their conversation to find out what he was doing here.

Her appearance, however, had not gone unnoticed by the strange visitor. "Oh, 'ello darlin'! You must be da misses! Pleased to make yer acquaintance." He said in a thick accent Lauren thought may be an ancient Welsh or Irish baroque no longer in common usage. He doffed his weather-beaten and rain soaked cowboy hat with one hand, offering her his other dirty and blood-stained one in an apparent attempt to shake hands with the doctor. "I'm Sean – Unaligned agent of da Inter-Clan council." Dr. Lewis didn't move and stared at his filthy hand, then at her wife to determine if he had cast some sort of spell on her and they were all in danger. "Right, uh – sorry." he said in embarrassment and retracted his proffered hand.

Bo rescued him by explaining, "He is here to give Dagny her official invitation to the Dawning Lauren." She held up an envelope with a foreign but familiar script on it, and bearing an elaborate wax seal.

"But…she hasn't been tested! There was no…machine or…" the doctor reasoned, not yet convinced of the strange man's intentions.

"Sorry, my partner usually 'andles this part, but she's indisposed at the moment. First Valkyrie attack fer her – she's a never encountered one 'afore." He began, sheepishly and ran a hand through his shoulder-length salt and pepper hair.

"How you did know Dagny would be there, anyways?" Mark asked curiosly.

"Oh, uh well we _knew_ where she lived, but…ya know." He shrugged and gestured with his hat. They all knew Bo kept a watchful eye on her sister, and didn't allow her out on her own. Getting acknowledgement from their nods, he continued. "Anyways, we knew she would seek out the rouge Valkyrie in the colony, consciously or unconsciously – so we staked _her_ out. We just didn't reckon on da bounty hunters findin der prey before we foun' ours. And no worries, Dagny's pasted 'er test, right enouf. Flyin' colors an' better than most. Got 'er emotional baggage checked, 'an harnessed 'er power. As fer da machine - well, da spriggan weren't fit fer such duties. 'e always put 'is own agenda an' natural affinity 'fer mischief above 'is duties, ya see." His accent became more pronounced as he expressed his own personal disdain for the methods employed by Balzac. He cleared his throat and tried to continue in a less colloquial manner, "I went wit da Unaligned police ta track her, but I won't ta let them slags harm the young fae, and don' worry 'bout Ball Sack, I hear he's doing fine in a profession more suited for 'im. Right – let's be off then, lad. We have an appointment wit your mate Burk to keep." He concluded by addressing Mark directly and putting his hat back on.

The shifter walked over and helped Stacey off the couch. "Time to pay the piper, Stacey. If you behave, I'll put in a good word for you and you might just get probation." The shifter said to her. She was seemed broken and didn't lift her head that was hung low throughout the entire episode. Once she was being escorted out of the door, the doctor noticed that her hands were handcuffed behind her back.

Lauren finally spoke up with concern, "Bo, what-"

"It's alright, Lauren!" she assured her wife, walking over to take her hands as the men escorted the defeated Valkyrie out of the apartment and shut the door behind them. "She said she didn't commit any crimes against Valhalla, and agreed to be turned in so her name can be cleared, and she can stop running. And Evony has agreed to allow Mark and Vex to keep their jobs, as well as keep sponsoring your clinic. Run your tests and then let's go to bed." She kissed her wife tenderly, "It's been a long couple of days. I told you I would fix things, and I did. Everything's alright now – we can deal the rest in the morning." She looked intensely in her wife's eyes, looking for signs that she believed that all was well, at least for now.

"No, no. I feel certain Dagny's devolving has started, and I ordered the same delaying tonic Trick gave you from the clinic, just in case that's true. It should be here any minute. Then I'll run the tests on her blood. And she didn't want me to leave her. I don't think she wants to be alone!" She hurriedly informed her, worry wrinkling the skin around her eyes.

"Nobody does." Bo said sadly, then pecked her lips and then moved out of their embrace, "Go, on Lauren. I'll clean up down here, and bring you the tonic when it gets here."

Dr. Lewis bolted back up the stairs, her wife watching her with regret that her sister hadn't asked for her company in her time of need. _I guess it makes sense; looking back at everything – Tamsin spent more time with Lauren than she did with me. And since we just got into a fight, Lauren seems an obvious choice. Still, I wonder what in the world Tamsin and Lauren talked about, or how they could even get along with each other. The only thing they had in common was…me!_

The doctor slowly opened the bedroom door, and the faint violin strings of some classical music greeted her. Her patient was still lying on the bed eyes closed, but with the remote of her small stereo in hand. "Vivaldi?" she questioned as she walked over and sat next to the Valkyrie. "I thought you were more of a fan of the German composers!" she gave the girl a lop-sided grin once she had opened her eyes.

As Lauren checked her vital signs she shrugged but couldn't hide the joyous look in her eyes at the doctor's return, "I am. Beethoven's ninth symphony, fourth movement is my favorite. I'll save that for celebrating passing my Dawning. I remember your lectures about classical music and its effect on a young person's intellectual ability and mood. I DO listen, ya know. I'm not just a ball of angst and rebellion."

The darker haired blonde laughed, "I would NEVER think that of you." She placed a hand on the young fae's forehead, and grew more serious. "I need to check your temperature; I think you may have a slight fever."

"Please tell me you will check it orally and not-" the Valkyrie quipped, but the doctor wasn't in the mood and grasped her head and turned it sharply to one side.

"Oh, grow up already! Neither, ear is the quickest and preferable method in this case." She said with an eye roll. She took her temperature quickly, and her suspicions confirmed – checked it again. It was even higher. She sighed and released the blonde head. "Your temperature is climbing." Searching for a packet of Tylenol, she pressed it into the girl's hand, "Take two of these, I need to run those tests, now!" She gathered up her bag with the blood samples and stood up quickly, intent on rushing out of the room, until a feeble hand on her arm stopped her.

"No, Lauren – don't leave! What about the tonic?" she pleaded hopefully, the flush returning to her face with her rising body temperature.

"It isn't here yet – but don't worry; Bo is downstairs waiting for it, and I'll send her to keep you company until it gets here." After she reached the door and glanced back at her patient, she saw the frightened look on her face. _She has never been sick a day in her life – and even though she had no problem being alone before it is terrifying to her now._ "And Bo has some good news for you, I'm sure she wants to tell you herself."

As she descended the stairs she called out to her wife, urgently, and was answered immediately. "Lo, what is it? Is she alright?" Bo ran to meet her at the stairs, the bottles of alcohol she was putting away still in her hands.

"She's feverish now; I need to run those tests to make sure I'm right about the devolving, just in case. She seems to be getting sicker by the minute. Please go up there and stay with her!" Lauren hurried past her wife, ignoring the bottles she tried to hand her, and set her bag down on the counter. Bo watched with her mouth agape as she fetched a test tube holder, full of empty test tubes, and dumped them unceremoniously on the counter. She began filling the now empty holes with her blood samples, ignoring their previous inhabitants as they rolled around the counter and even when some of them crashed to the floor. Realizing her wife hadn't moved, Dr. Lewis looked at her as she opened another cabinet to retrieve her microscope and reagents, "Go! Now!"

The Succubus, needing no further convincing of the seriousness of the situation ran up the stairs, bottles still in hand. Once she reached her sister's door she remembered both her hands were full, and tucked one bottle under her arm to free up a hand to open turn the knob and enter the room. _No, no, no…this can't be happening! Not this fast…_ she thought as she rushed to her sister's side. She looked gravely ill. Once she sat down on the bed next to her, Dagny opened her eyes.

"Oh, hey Bo. Thanks, how did you know?" she reached out and took the vodka bottle still tucked under her sister's arm and drank from it.

The Succubus was going to stop her, but thought twice of it. _There isn't much left in it – and what does it matter now, anyways?!_ She drank from what was left of the scotch, and remembered why Dyson favored it so much."How are you feeling?" she asked, not knowing what else to say to her as she set her remaining bottle on the floor.

"It doesn't hurt, you know. At least not yet." She took another drink, and handed Bo the empty bottle.

Bo set in on the floor next to its mate, and took the girl's hand. "Hey, everything is going to be alright! Have a little faith in Lauren! She's going to help you get over this, and you have already passed the test for the Dawning – you have your official invitation!"

"That's good news." She smiled wistfully, but continued her morbid line of thinking, "But, if I turn, Bo, I want you to promise that you will kill me."

"No, NO! Don't talk like that-"

"And if I come back…not me…keep killing me until it's over. Promise me, Bo!" she begged with a feverish intensity that frightened her sister into honesty instead of mollifying her by telling her what she wanted to hear.

"I…I don't think I could...there's always hope, while there is life. There's always another way!" Tears fell from her eyes as she spoke and stroked the feverish girl's hand.

"Have you ever thought that that might be what **HE** wants, Bo? What he meticulously planned for, over millennia." She swallowed down her pills she had forgotten to take, then attempting to continue.

"Shhh, no. No, it was me he planned for. He told me – and he never lied to me. You were just a last minute contingency plan, but you are my sister – I won't lose you! Not like that!"

"You can't believe him, Bo. He DID lie to you; you told me he said you weren't capable of love. He _knew_ that wasn't true. He knows you love Lauren, and he _knew_ you would love your sister, no matter what she is. But a powerful underfae…"

"…loves no one and would be easy for him to control. And if she were my sister – it would be hard for me to kill her, and give him leverage to get me to help him. But if he lied, what else did he lie about? And how can we stop him…There has to be something…" Bo sniffed, suddenly more hopeful.

"…something he missed. He predicted and orchestrated everyone's actions so flawlessly; surely he got cocky and forgot something. Something that set off a chain of events he didn't plan for." They heard the doorbell ring, but ignored it for the moment. Dagny closed her eyes and went on weakly, "It has to be a minor detail…"

"…a detail so insignificant it escaped his notice, and ours, too. Something he didn't think was important…" Bo's mind went on a scavenger hunt through her memories to recall when she had thought about a minor detail that had escaped her own notice. She brightened, "Tamsin's truck…None us ever thought about when, how, or why Tamsin's truck disappeared. The night of the fire…I don't remember seeing it…"

Dagny smiled at her, eyes open again but bleary and face now pouring sweat. Suddenly, Lauren's face came swimming into view instead of the Succubus'- the doctor gently lifted her head, encouraging her to drink a foul-smelling concoction she pressed to her lips. "I know it tastes bad, honey, but drink it all down! I had them make it a little stronger than normal to compensate for the Valkyrie metabolism."


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Thanks for you who are giving this tale a chance, and apologies for this chapter. Long weekend, many misadventures and last minute chapter re-arraigning without my usual revision made this seem a little sloppy to even me. But it makes more story sense further down the line. Thanks for reading, and those who left reviews.**

Dawning of a Valkyrie

Chapter 17: Atonement or Redemption…And Whatever

After a few sputtering sips nearly ending in a coughing fit, Dagny managed to drink the entire disgusting contents of Trick's tonic, and Dr. Lewis laid her head back gently down on the pillow. She wiped the girl's face with a cool, damp washcloth she had brought with her, and once again checked her vital signs. The young fae seemed delirious; she muttered and fidgeted about, as Lauren struggled to give her an injection of antibiotics, "Bo, Tamsin's truck is a piece of shit! Who would possible want it! If it has any magical power, it has to be the fact that it is still running after all these years of neglect!"

"Shhh, shhh, take it easy. Bo went downstairs, she said it was important. The devolving has left you somehow susceptible, and without natural immunity to bacteria that normally only effect humans mildly. Your body has over-reacted to this new threat, and is trying to heal itself first by raising your blood pressure, then your body temperature. Give the potion time and antibiotics time to take effect. You're going to be alright. And you WILL pass your Dawning. You already passed the test, and you have your invitation. See, I told you you didn't need a Lodestar!" Lauren encouraged her as best she could; her medical skills had bought the young Valkyrie some time – the rest was up to her.

"Bo, you're wrong…Lauren…." She muttered to her absent sister as sleep overcame her.

 _There's nothing more I can do for her. Or is there? Maybe I can give her natural healing abilities a boost!_ She carefully weighed whether or not she should try to 'juice' the girl with the concoction she had prepared in case of such a contingency. It was a recipe of Massimo's she found in his journals; Bo said it had rejuvenated the dying Tamsin at Taft's, giving her enough strength to overcome the guards and power-up Bo as well. Giving her the injection could risk raising her blood pressure dangerously high again, but now it seemed that her blood pressure was slightly below normal. She looked at the girl, now dozing fitfully, with a critical eye; she seemed stable but not recovering as quickly as she would have liked. _Half a dose couldn't hurt too much…No, I'll give the medicine some time to work, and save that for a last resort. Bo said Tamsin always slept away her injuries. And drank them away, as well. Fighting, drinking, cussing, one-night stands, eating anything in sight and sleeping – ugh,what a life. I wonder if Dagny follows in her mother's footsteps._ She thought as she spied the now empty liquor bottles on the floor next to the bed.

But the Valkyrie wasn't in the deep, coma-like condition the Succubus had related. Even though her temperature was lowered to less dangerous levels, she was still feverish and mumbling in her sleep. "No one gave a thought about her…not even you…she's weak; just a lapdog…her father isn't even fae…but now someone wants her…someone remembers…"

 _What in the world…she CAN'T be talking about…Stacey? Her father can't be human! She is delirious._ Dr. Lewis checked her temperature and blood pressure again; the young Valkyrie's vital signs were close to normal. She had ceased her mumblings to her absent sister and fell deeper into sleep. The doctor sighed, she was curious if it really was Stacey the girl was referring to as it could be, if true, a vital key to her research. THE key to her research – and the answer to a long standing disagreement between her and her wife that would allow them to move forward with their plans together. _Anything is possible with the Valkyrie; they are probably the least studied of all the fae with the possible exception of Elementals. Then again, they are probably related, since they both travel easily between planes of existence._ She eyed the injector with the 'juicing' solution; but the angels of her better nature insisted it would be too selfish to risk the young fae's health to satisfy her scientific curiosity, no matter how important it was to her. _We can have this conversation when she feels better._

The door clicked open, and Bo walked in carrying a small leather bundle. "Lauren how is she?" she kissed her wife, less quickly and more tenderly than she had earlier when she took the renegade Stacey out of the room earlier.

"Better, she's stable and her vital signs are normal. Now can you tell me what was so important you ran out of here?" her wife asked as if she were interrogating an errant spouse why they came home in the wee hours of the morning without calling.

Bo walked to the other side of the bed and sat down across from her, "Sorry, Lauren. It's just – we were talking, and I thought there was something important in Tamsin's truck that the Valkyrie wanted back. But all I found was this - buried in a toolbox in the bed of the truck." She showed her wife the oil and rust stained leather bandier of exotic blades that had once belonged to the deceased Valkyrie.

"Oh, you were looking for whatever Stacey was accused of stealing. Well, never mind – I'm sure your sister will appreciate you finding Tamsin's old knives." She reached across her sleeping patient to hold her wife's hand with a smile.

"It wasn't just about that. We talked; I mean really talked, about our father and…what he may be planning and…I don't know – things!" Bo answered without mentioning the girl's pleading to be killed if she became an underfae.

"I see. So, you two finally ended your Urinary Olympics and decided to speak to each other as sisters and not rival competitors trash talking each other before a bout." The doctor quipped with a glint in her eye betraying her attempt at levity in her own dry and intellectual style.

"Urinary. Olympics?" Bo questioned with a feigned frown and furrowed eyebrows. She knew it was a joke, but not sure what it meant.

"It's a less vulgar way of saying…well, uh hum…pissing contest." Lauren concluded with an enthusiastic nod of her head but embarrassed smile of apology. Explaining the joke made it less impactful to her way of thinking, but Bo laughed heartily anyways. _She must be the only one who appreciates my humor. And she is the only one who laughs at a joke I have to explain. One of many reasons why I love her so much…_ She smiled lovingly at her wife and squeezed her hand, and was answered in kind.

"OK, you nailed it – we actually had a real conversation. A meaningful and _important_ conversation. But now what? Is she going to be alright?" Bo asked, concern now creeping back into the tone of her voice.

"I think the potion has taken effect; she's sleeping much easier now. I'll take a blood sample and check her cells to make sure the devolving has been halted for now. I don't know why her body suddenly reacted to normally innocuous bacteria so violently, and I'd like to research that as well." The doctor retrieved her hand from the shared clasp regretfully and plopped her bag on the bed to begin her work again with a sigh.

Bo saw that her wife was getting tired, and offered to help her in any way she could, "Hey, why don't you just check her cells aren't devolving and save the research for tomorrow. You need your rest, hon. I'll stay with her tonight and make sure she doesn't have a relapse." She got up and walked around the bed, placing her hands on her wife's shoulders protectively once she was finished drawing another blood sample.

Lauren sighed; she was tired – it had been a very stressful couple of days and she didn't have the advantage of powering up the way the fae could. "All right, I could use the rest. But, she said something to me when she was in a fever dream. I wanted to ask her about-"

She never finished the thought as the brunette leaned over her shoulder and kissed her softly on the neck. The doctor turned her head and immediately pulled her face up to meet hers with one hand and allowed her to continue kissing her, but on the lips this time. But when Lauren pulled her wife's head closer and pushed her tongue gently against her lover's lips, it was the Succubus who pushed them apart. "Lauren, I would love to take you right now; but don't you need to finish your work so you can get some rest?"

The doctor blushed and smirked a lop-sided grin in embarrassment at her own inopportune amorous intentions, "You're right. Mmmmm, but what can I say? Non-violent conflict resolution is a turn-on for me!" she quipped as she got up to go and examine her blood sample. Just to be a little cheeky, she unfastened two buttons to open her shirt and reveal her cleavage before she turned around.

"Lauren…uhhhh…just wait 'till later…you're gonna get it for this!" Bo beamed. Lauren's playful antics were carefully orchestrated to keep her from worrying too much about Dagny, and the Succubus was fully aware of that. But she appreciated it, just the same. You learn a lot about your spouse over years of being together.

"Promises, promises…" Lauren said with a wave over her shoulder, walking to the bedroom door. She heard the light and quiet classical music stop suddenly as she was about to shut the door and peeked back in the room. Bo had turned off the music, and was starting the movie on the computer Stacey had cued up. The brunette seemed to have noticed she was being watched and turned around to face her wife.

"No offence, Lauren, but I will fall asleep in no time flat if I have to sit here with only that music playing for a distraction." Bo explained sheepishly.

"None taken. Dagny chose the music." She smirked, but added seriously, "Listen, Bo – if she wakes up, I don't think it would be a good idea to mention that you turned Stacey in to the Morrigan, at least not until we know she is out of physical danger."

"I agree." The Succubus concurred. After the door was shut behind her wife and she settled down on the bed to watch the Schwarzenegger movie, she thought to herself, _Speaking of Stacey, I wonder how her meeting with Evony is going anyways._

 _ **That night, outside Evony's private Conference Room…**_

"Don't even think about it; even if you did manage to escape now they will up the stakes and make the bounty 'Dead or Alive.'" Steve informed his charge calmly as she glanced nervously around the lobby. Being after hours, he had forgone his expensive suit and had been called into work while wearing only jeans and a T-shirt. But the authority and implied violent potential he exuded was a full time trait he could never shed.

They were both standing outside the door, the Valkyrie still hand cuffed and dressed in the ill-fitting clothes Dagny had lent her. She apologized and explained herself, "Sorry, I was just thirsty and thought there might be a water fountain in here."

The hulking specimen of a fae snapped his fingers at one of his more smartly dressed men guarding an exit, and he hurried around a corner, returning quickly with a paper cup of water presumably from an out of sight water cooler. Steve took it from him and held it to the blonde's lips as she gratefully and awkwardly drank it down. "Better?" After she nodded he added, "Good. Because she is going to want you to talk. Address her by her title, 'Morrigan.' And I suggest you tell her whatever she wants to know. If you lie to her – she'll know. You wouldn't be the first Valkyrie who tried."

Stacey nodded earnestly; she knew who the 'other' Valkyrie he was referring to was. The double doors opened suddenly, and her previously gruff yet almost kind escort reverted to a strictly gruff attitude and shoved her along in front of him forcefully.

She stumbled into the room with trepidation and tried with some difficulty to pull a chair out from under the conference table with a foot so she could sit down. The strikingly handsome brunette woman seated at the head of the table watched her with evil glee until the blonde had nearly succeeded and her rear was inches from the seat before motioning to her goon. Steve snatched her roughly from her efforts and stood her upright once again, kicking the chair back to its original position. The Valkyrie's face was red in embarrassment, and her eyes were wide and fearful.

Evony tsked and told her in a mock sympathetic tone, "Tsk, tsk…has Valhalla fallen so far that they don't even teach manners anymore? I guess I shouldn't expect much; Tamsin lacked social graces, too – but at least she had balls. You have neither." When she spoke the last words, they were straight up accusatory and dripping with venom. She finished her cocktail just as she finished her assessment of the captive Valkyrie, and snapped her fingers. Stacey looked up at the sound and noticed a fully stocked bar with a uniformed bartender presumably serving only one customer. He sprung into action and began mixing his boss a new drink. _Well, she let me know who's in charge here. Now I wonder what else she wants from me._ The Valkyrie thought dismally.

"OK, I'd love to play with you some more, but there's no sport or challenge in it. And it's late and I have other business to take care of tomorrow – WHERE IS IT?" the brunette asked, her more casual clothes not detracting at all from her fearsome personae or naturally authoritative nature.

"Wh-what?" Stacey stuttered out, looking in the woman's brown eyes.

"Don't toy with ME! The Brisingamen! WHERE IS IT!" she slammed a fist on the table, the bartender ignoring her tirade continuing his duties as the two women stared at each other in silence and placed a fresh drink next to her clenched fist on the table.

"M-mm..Mistress,…I…" she had already forgotten Evony's title in the stressful situation and reverted to what she was familiar with.

Steve leaned down and informed her helpfully, "The Morrigan. She is-"

Evony held up two fingers to stop him, "No, 'Mistress' is fine. Go on."

Stacey swallowed, and shook her head nervously, "I-I…don't have it. Tamsin took it from Freya. I-I haven't seen it since."

The Valkyrie was relieved when the Morrigan gave her a curious expression and a nod. "Hmmm, I see." She turned to one of her men across the room, "Rolf, if you wouldn't mind…" The huge blond Nordic looking man took his hands from behind his back to reveal a dark brown manila folder held in them. He walked over and handed to his boss before moving back to his station. She thanked him warmly and laid it on the table. "Well, let's see…it says here you were tasked with retrieving it from the Succubus' pet Valkyrie. Oh, and you weren't allowed to return without it." She leaned back in her chair. "Would you care to explain yourself?"

"Yes, Mor-, Mistress. I left Tartarus after being there a few days; I wanted to go home. Freya wanted…" she trailed off, afraid to reveal too much about Valkyrie business for fear of being in an even worse situation than she found herself now.

"Allow me – Freya wanted her trinket back. She sent you to collect it for her, because she has even less testicular fortitude than you do, if that is possible. Metaphorically speaking, of course. Because just between us gals, not having testicles doesn't mean you can't have balls. Grow a pair already and tell me!"

"But how…Mistress, sorry, but how do you know?"

"Because Freya put a contract out on you in every fae colony!" Evony said brightly as if it were an obvious fact. "She wants to know where her necklace is, and why you cut and run on her. Go on, explain yourself. Or shall I just send you straight back to Tartarus? I hear it's _**lovely**_ this time of year!" she scrunched her nose, knowing damn well the afterlife of hell was never a nice place to be.

"N-no, Mistress. I went to Valhalla to find Tamsin, but she wasn't there. Acacia caught me searching her office made me tell her why I came back…" she faltered again, once again stymied by her fear.

"I have to tell you – this is getting old…FAST. Acacia was pissed off that you were betraying her again, and booted you out with an ultimatum of her own. Does that help? Can we go on now? I understand now why you were banished, and I am losing my patience with you as well!"

"B-but…but…how…" she stuttered.

"Oh you naïve fool!" she slapped both her palms on the table. "Acacia contracted me, personally, to hunt you down. I am giving you the chance to choose your own fate. I've grown soft since I was human, but my tolerance of your stupidity does have limits. Now – SPILL!"

One look in her intense eyes opened up the floodgates for the terrified Valkyrie, "Acacia was furious I was betraying her again for Freya. She thinks Hades is still influencing her, and banished me until I brought the Brisingamen to her, so Freya couldn't get her hands on it again. I went to Bo's house while they were all gone, but I couldn't find it. When they all came home I hid outside and watched the Hot Doctor take Tamsin to Bo's car. She and the Succubus left together, and the doctor left in her own car. Tamsin seemed like she was upset, but wanted to stay with them, and they hugged her and acted like they cared about her. I knew I wouldn't get any help if Tamsin was loyal to them, so I stole her truck and left the colony. I had nowhere else to go. Then, after a few years, Valkyrie and other bounty hunters started chasing me. I finally gave up and came back to ask her to help me get them off my back. I saved Tamsin's daughter, hoping Bo would help me, but she turned me in to you. And here I am."

"Yessss, here you are, and you don't have what I want. Now WHAT am I going to do with _you?_ " she tapped the tabletop with her long fingernails. Suddenly, she motioned to her security chief.

Steve took out a handcuff key and released her, then pulled the chair out from under the table and motioned his captive to sit. She did so, cautiously eyeing the Morrigan for any sign that she had mistaken the invitation. But Evony's facial expression was neutral as she waited patiently for the Valkyrie to sit and then rub her wrists which were red and chaffed from the manacles. The bartender set a tall drink in front of her, and she glanced in quick succession at him, Steve, and then the Morrigan – the latter staring at her with an eyebrow raised expectantly.

The short-haired blonde realized this some sort of test, or game the leader of the Dark fae was setting up. _She wouldn't just poison me, would she? Or will she have her thug slap the drink out of my hand for a laugh? Who cares, I need a drink and I'm sure she would have killed me or had them torture me rather than set up this personal meeting if she didn't want something else from me. And she said I could choose my fate – and that I should 'grow a pair.'_ She gulped down half the drink in one go, then muttered her thanks to her host and the bartender.

"Of course, my dear. I understand your biological needs. And I thank you for looking after Tamsin's daughter, because I'm sure the Succubus never did. Even though you saved her from Bo's own Unaligned worshippers." Stacey looked up sharply at her, eyes wide in surprise. Evony went on, "Oh don't act so surprised – if I wanted you dead you would already be on your next life. And what were you thinking anyways; Succubi are notoriously territorial, and this particular one is overly emotional - didn't you know? She isn't going to help you – you touched her things without permission, twice!"

"You're right. But I thought she doesn't like you, either. Why did she turn me over to _you_? Why wouldn't she just take me to the gates of Valhalla and turn me in to Acacia?" Stacey asked, on the verge of whining.

Evony motioned the bartender to refresh their drinks and smirked at the girl, happy for the opportunity to brag, "I made her an offer she couldn't refuse. Oh, I figured out very quickly you were the one who took her sister – but she accused me! So, I gave her the annulment from the Dark she wanted so badly as a show of good faith, and fired her entire entourage from of my employ. I am fully aware that **I** can't reason with her, but they can – and they did."

Stacey drank more conservatively from her drink as she mulled over the situation. She was beginning to understand the woman in front of her, and knew her sudden congeniality was not indicative of allegiance, but instead an attempt to establish a rapport between them before they made some sort of deal. She wasn't the smartest Valkyrie, but she could learn. _This woman is smart and powerful – and even if I don't have the Brisingamen she wants_ _ **something**_ _from me._ "So, if you believe I don't have what you are looking for – what is it you want from me? Mistress." She added the title the brunette had shown an affinity for quickly.

"Before I answer that – I have a question for you: Why did you help Tamsin's brat at the restaurant? Why didn't you just cut and run before they even noticed you?" she eyed the Valkyrie across from her suspiciously over the martini glass she was sipping from.

"I – I really don't know. I mean…I was going to run – but she is my Valkyrie sister, and I didn't know who she was at the time. I probably would have run if I knew then what I know now. I mean…she really wasn't in any danger, Mistress." Stacey finished more polished than she started her answer.

And the Morrigan was impressed, "Very goooddd! You have found all the right answers! And if you haven't found any brains or courage, at least you found your manners!" She set the glass down. "I am not as unforgiving as the Succubus – and to prove it, I'll allow you to make the choice of who gets custody of you."

"B-but…I don't have what they want!" she forgot to use a title, and it was ignored for the moment.

"Freya wants her necklace or you as a consolation prize. She has plans for you, I think. Or Jack does. Who knows? Maybe he is in the market for a new baby mamma. I leave that for your conjecture, as you know them better than I do. As for Acacia – she already knows you don't have it. But she has laid her plans out for you in writing." Evony was grinning now.

"How could she know? She sent me back to find it; doesn't she think I stole it from Tamsin and run away with it, Mistress?"

The Morrigan laughed at her mockingly, "Seriously – you were doing so well! Gods you are dense! **I** know you don't have it! I mean – _look_ at you! You sold locks of your hair to every shady druid and apothecary across the continent leading straight to this colony like a trail of blonde bread crumbs! Why would you do that if you had the Brisingamen?" She brushed a tear caused by her mirth out of the corner of her eye and cleared her throat before continuing, "So, I can't have a Valkyrie battle playing out endangering my people, and the bounty on you is very attractive to me. But first – tell me Valkyrie: What do you want most?"

"To go home." She whispered sadly.

"Good." Evony flipped through the file in front of her until she found an envelope engraved with elaborate and wispy runes of the ancient Valkyrie script. She held it up without uttering a word, and Steve quickly walked over and took it to their captive, handing it to her with a nod to encourage her to examine its authenticity.

She took it and turned it over carefully, examining the wax seal before opening it. It was addressed to her, from Acacia and sealed with the official seal of the Mistress of Valhalla. Stacey read it, then read it again to make sure she fully understood the terms Acacia had laid out in exchange for an end to her banishment. "That's a heavy price to pay." She said morosely, still holding the letter from Valhalla.

Evony shrugged, "It's up to you; but what's one life in exchange for your heart's desire? I'm sure your buddy Tamsin would have jumped at a chance like that. Or, you can do nothing and take your chances with your woman crush Freya and her psychotic puppet master, Hades." She waved her hand to emphasis her ambivalence to whatever choice the blonde decided to make.

"OK, I will do as Acacia, Mistress of Valhalla, asks of me in order to redeem myself and end my banishment." She folded the letter up and placed it back in the envelope.

"Good. Steve will show you to your room where you will stay as my guest until the time comes." The Morrigan stood and nodded at her security guard.

The muscular bald man gently encouraged her to stand up by lifting her arm, and then gestured to the door another guard opened for them. She stared into space, not really processing the change in attitude of her guard until he spoke to her at the elevator, "You made the right choice." He said quietly in his deep voice.

"I'm not so sure." She whispered as she looked him in the eye.

"Redemption is always preferable to punishment." he said as the elevator door opened, still holding their gaze.

 _ **At Bo & Lauren's...**_

Lauren crept quietly back into Dagny's room, and when she saw that Bo was the only one of the pair on the bed who looked up at her, she smiled and walked in less stealthily. "How's she doing, Bo?" She had a suspicion that her wife may have fallen asleep, as well. And as much as the Succubus tried to deny it – she needed sleep to rejuvenate herself as well as any human or Valkyrie. She need not worry about waking the sleeping girl, however; it was well established after living with her for years that she would sleep anywhere and anytime she felt the need undisturbed by whatever was going on around her.

The brunette grinned and looked down at her bedmate, brushing the hair from her forehead. "She seems fine, sleeping like a baby even with me getting up and sitting back down. Her fever is gone, too – thanks to you!"

"Well, I am sort of awesome…" Lauren smirked and tilted her head from side to side before adding, "…but from what I've seen under the microscope, I think this might have been a normal maturation process for her. I just alleviated her pain and put a premature end to her symptoms. But still, it is quite fascinating and possibly groundbreaking information to my research! Valkyrie are so secretive, very little is known about their lifecycles!"

"Awesome nonetheless! So, what did you find out?" the brunette asked, getting up to turn down the volume on the movie.

"Conan the Barbarian? I didn't know you were a Schwarzenegger fan!" Lauren couldn't help but laugh at the movie as she took the opportunity to check on her patient. Her pulse and breathing were normal, and this confirmed what her most recent blood samples indicated.

"Mmmm, not my type, but Sandahl Bergman…" The screen displayed said actresses dressed as a Valkyrie. "…oh gods if I were alive when she were young…the things I would do to her…" Bo trailed off, embarrassed that her tired mind had vocalized hypothetical ideas more appropriate to tell a drinking buddy than her own wife. She turned from the computer screen, "Oh Lauren – I didn't mean…I mean…if I didn't-"

Her wife, however, was much more secure in their relationship than she realized. "Don't trip over your tongue, Bo! Everybody has fantasy lovers! And you're a Succubus – in case you've forgotten!" Lauren laughed at her red-faced wife once she could no longer hold it back. But when her wife still couldn't find any words, she added, "Don't worry. I know you had your chance to be with a blonde Nordic warrior – and you turned her down to be with me."

Although her comment was meant to help her wife get over her embarrassment – it had the opposite effect, if the shameful look on the brunette's face was any indication. And Lauren mentally kicked herself now realizing the pain Dagny went through had brought feelings of guilt over Tamisn's fate to the forefront of Bo's mind.

Before she could think of anything to say, the Succubus asked in a low voice, "What did she tell you? About the night she said she was in love with me?" _Tamsin confided in her more than I ever thought…oh gods…what did she tell her? Did she tell her everything? About Mark, about Persephone…about the Dark fae in a coma?_

Lauren got up from the young fae's beside to wrap her wife in a gentle embrace, "Nothing…just that she lost you – and the better woman won. She wasn't angry, and she was kind to me…well, as kind as she ever was to anyone she called friend." The blonde doctor pressed Bo's head to her shoulder and stroked her dark hair, "Dagny's going to be fine. She just needs to take her antibiotic pills and her tonic daily until her Dawning, just in case. And we both need to get some sleep. Tomorrow, I'll fill you in on what I've learned, and I may have some good news to give you."

"I'll stay with her, just in case." Bo whispered.

Lauren pulled her brunette head up with both hands on her cheeks to look her in the eye, "That's a good idea. She needs her rest; Valkyrie seem to heal and grow in their unconscious state. And you need rest, too, without the temptation of sex!" The blonde slowly moved closer and captured Bo's quivering lips in a languid kiss that lingered without escalating for a few minutes. Once it had accomplished its mission of mutual reassurance, it came to a mutually consenting end and they pressed their foreheads together.

"I don't know why you love me; but I'm so grateful that you do. Go to bed, babe – I know you must be tired, too. I'll see you in the morning. I love you." Bo choked out the last statement in a whisper.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Thanks for reading, reviewing, fav and following. This chapter is a bit shorter, but I wanted to get it out of the way before we get to what Lauren is doing, and why it causes tension between her and Bo in regards to starting a family. More on that in the next chapter, and more on the rest of the crew.**

Dawning of a Valkyrie

Chapter 18: Secrets behind the Scenes

"Please, ma'am – just sign here. You have the authority as her legal spouse, and it is simply a formality." Steve was close to pleading with the blonde doctor, and it was borderline laughable to hear the desperation the huge muscular man was expressing in his deep lumbering voice.

"But, why do I have to sign anything in order for you to take away Stacey's truck? It doesn't even belong to us – just take it since we both agree Bo is OK with that!" Lauren was confused why Evony's representative insisted on her signing a release form before entering the parking garage to her apartment. She adjusted the purse slung over her shoulder and took the clipboard from him in order to read the form he insisted she endorse on behalf of her wife, checking for some sort of legal chicanery in the fine print.

But the form was a simple release, stating the Dark fae had verbal permission to take the truck and keep it for one weeks time, that their visit was strictly limited to removing the truck, that they would not harm or otherwise harass any persons during the course of their duties, and any inadvertent property damages would be reimbursed by the Morrigan, and…

When she got up in the morning, Bo and Dagny had already left the apartment (against her medical advice for the Valkyrie.) But her wife had left a note letting her know everything was alright, she took Dagny to pick up her antibiotic prescription to keep an eye on her, and the Dark fae were coming over to get the truck. Still, she hadn't expected them to be lurking outside the garage in order to solicit her signature on a legal document. And something else caught her off guard, "Just a minute – what does this mean "The representatives above named have the express permission of the acting Unaligned leader, Bo Dennis, to enter the Unaligned Territory for the sole purpose stated in this release"?" Dr. Lewis asked, puzzled.

"It's pretty straightforward, ma'am. We need permission to enter the territories of the other clans while conducting official business. It's just prudent to have a paper trail in case our actions are questioned in council at a later date." The burly man explained.

"But…this isn't Unaligned Territory – and Bo isn't the Unaligned leader!" Lauren argued.

Steve had an answer for this, "Well, the Unaligned Council thinks otherwise. And if you believe that isn't so – what difference does it make to you if you sign the form?"

The blonde shrugged in resignation and grabbed the pen, eager to get to work on the new leads Stacey's arrival had serendipitously provided. _I pray Evony doesn't bring this level of bureaucracy to the clinic! And whatever Bo and her sister are up to – it better be important! They both have got a lot of explaining to do, taking off in the middle of the night like that after Dagny fell ill!_

 _ **What Bo and Dagny were up to early that morning…**_

Bo was in a fitful sleep; her dream had evolved into a nightmare. Everyone she asked for help from as she ran from some unseen entity morphed into her father. She jumped into a rollercoaster car for whatever reason people do the strange things they do in dreams. She finally felt as if she may have escaped for the moment, when suddenly the car began vibrating then shaking violently. As she fell from the car in her dream, her now suddenly awake self sat up in the bed breathing heavily, "Wh-what?!" she said aloud.

Her sister was lying on her side in the bed next to her but facing away. Apparently awake, she muttered, "I said: I hope to high heaven that is your phone buzzing because it would be super creepy if you brought your vibrator in here with you." She pulled her right arm she had used to shove her sister into consciousness back over to the front of her body and pulled her pillow closer.

The Succubus ignored the joke and looked at the alarm clock – it was just after 3 a.m. in the morning. _Who could be calling me at this hour of the morning? And more importantly,_ "Hey, you're awake! How are you feeling?" she asked as she sought out her cell phone in the bed with one hand.

"Fine. Tired." She mumbled concise answers, not moving.

"Are you like – 'normal' tired, or 'about to go into a coma tired?' Should I get Lauren?" Bo asked, worried that the girl was falling ill again.

But to her relief, her younger sister rolled over briefly to look at her, and then the alarm clock before plopping her head back down on the pillow. "Bo – it's three o'clock in the morning. Ima go out on a limb here and say I am 'normal' tired. Go to bed."

The brunette sighed at her phone – one missed call from Evony, and a text from said woman asking her permission for the Morrigan to send men to pick up Stacey's truck first thing in the morning, and informing her she could have it back in a week if she wanted it. _Oh great; things probably aren't going Stacey's way…she must not have whatever it is they are looking for and I bet they think she hid it in the truck. But I searched it thoroughly, inside, outside, and underneath. Even under the hood. Still, they must be certain she has it, Valkyrie don't invite outsiders into their business on a hunch or a whim. And by now they would have gone through whatever hole she crawled out of with a fine-toothed comb._ "Dagny?" she prodded her sister; the girl had made a hobby out of working on her classic Camaro along with Dyson and Mark.

"Hmmmm…" she hummed out, half-way back into a full slumber.

"If you had to hide something in a vehicle that couldn't be found with a normal search, where would you put it?" Bo asked, leaning over her shoulder to look at her face.

"Seriously, Bo?! At 3 in the morning?! Just leave the vibrator at home!"

"Cut it out Dagny! This is important! And by the way – you know what's super creepy? The way you are fixated on my sex life!" she crawled over her to the other side of the bed and knelt on the floor, staring at her to gain the blonde's attention.

Dagny opened her eyes mid eyeroll, "Fine – in the gas tank, oil pan, behind the instrument cluster or plastic body panels, under the dashboard…" she ticked off a few suggestions, but concluded with, "…but it really depends on the vehicle, how long you have to hide it, how quickly you might need access to it, and your mechanical ability. But I'm not smuggling anything in my truck, if that's what you're asking."

"No, no! Stacey! Where would Stacey hide something in _her_ truck?" Bo asked, even more enthusiastic now that she had her sister's undivided attention.

"Stacey…ugh – forget what I said. Just look under the seats or in the glove box. She lacks imagination, among other things." The young Valkyrie spat out and closed her eyes, thinking the matter closed.

"She stole something important from Valhalla – people are going to come looking for it. I think it may be in our best interests if we find it first – I'm not sure whose side they are on. And I bet our father **wants** them to get it back!" The Succubus persisted.

"Pretty sure the only thing she stole was Tamsin's truck. At least that's what she told me, and I believe her. She's scared shitless; if she had it - I'm sure she would have given it back already. And I doubt she would have the guts to try something like that in the first place." The Valkyrie mumbled with her eyes still closed, hoping her sister would let the matter go, and let her fall back to sleep.

And, at least at first, she succeeded. "She **is** pretty spineless when she doesn't have someone powerful to hide behind. But it still bothers me. The Valkyrie wouldn't go to this much trouble for a trivial thing like a stolen vehicle."

"Mmmmm…" was the only answer she received.

Bo stood up and walked to the computer, the screen saver was now on after the movie had finished and the main menu had timed out. She picked up Stacey's second choice, and placed it in the DVD tray. There would be no sleep for her, at least, until she could work out what was going on – and the clock was ticking.

As she watched the movie about the Roman Emperor Comedous and the general turned gladiator, her sister rolled onto her back in her sleep and it caught her attention. The scar on her upper chest was clearly visible. It had angered Bo, at first, that she had cut away her father's protective mark she had borne presumably since her birth. _Maybe if she still had his mark, she wouldn't have gotten sick in the first place, but I guess it was her decision to make. Everything comes at a price, and she wasn't willing to risk what the cost would be. Tamsin stole the Amethusto Dagger from Zeus to at least give me the choice. It could be why she got hit with the lightning bolt._

She turned back to the movie as her younger sister twitched about in her sleep, seemingly in pleasant dreams from the smile on her face. She had already watched it, several times, with her sister and knew the honorable general whose only wish was to return to his wife and family would risk everything to do his duty that he felt was just. Suddenly, she thought of the last time she saw Tamsin and Stacey together – they had gone to see Trick at the Dal. _But why? Trick said she was leaving after I rejected her, what could she want from him and why did she bring Stacey? Wait – afterwards she said she was trying to send Jack back to Tartarus, and she usurped Freya…_ Suddenly, everything clicked into place – Stacey didn't steal anything. Tamsin did, and she hid it in the only place she ever called home. _Eternal wanderer, indeed!_

She shook her sister awake, "Dagny, get up! I need your help!"

Once they were downstairs in the garage, the young Valkyrie began her grumbling in earnest after she had at first obligingly gone along with her sister's fool's errant. Whatever it took to get back to sleep, she was willing to do. "I don't think Lauren would approve of me wrenching on a car in the middle of the night, Bo. She was pretty clear with her orders, and if I'm going to be in the dog house with her – I'm going to make sure you are right there keeping me company!"

"Oh please, Valkyrie UP already! Don't tell me you are afraid of a human!" the Succubus had climbed into the back of the truck and opened the battered tool box.

Dagny stood outside the vehicle and was staring at her with crossed arms when she looked up from her task at her immobile helper. "Yeah, like you aren't afraid of her, my QUEEN!" the young blonde taunted when their eyes met with raised eyebrows and a smirk.

"Noooo…I'm…OK, it's true! But - this will go faster if you give me a little **HELP**! And she told me you are going to be fine as long as you take your prescriptions." Bo caved in like a house of cards. No one in the house was happy when Lauren was upset with either one of them for reasons they usually caused through their own mischief.

"Oh…alright – let me look around first. Ten years is a long time to hide evidence, so we can probably rule out air breather and brake fluid reservoir. And she probably didn't have much time to hide it if you didn't notice her working on it." _Although, from what I gather Tamsin could have rebuilt the engine in the living room and Bo wouldn't have noticed if Lauren or even Dyson was in the room…_ the young fae thought bitterly, but bit back on her sarcasm for the moment. Instead, she took Vex's advice that discretion was prudent in terms of getting what she wanted when dealing with the people. She opened the hood and looked carefully around the engine bay. "Well, I guess she could have JB welded something to the valve covers, but that would involve extensive cleaning…and if the bond failed after ten years, so would the engine once it hit the rocker arms."

"What are valve covers? And what is JB Weld?" Bo asked with a raised voice in order to be heard from the back of the truck.

"Nevermind…and it couldn't be behind the spare tire – it looks much newer and I'm sure in ten years she was bound to have a flat at some time. Is there a flashlight in the tool box?" Dagny asked as she shut the hood. Bo handed it to her and the young fae opened the driver's door and laid on the floorboards, looking under the dash. The older vehicle had no plastic body panel covers, and she could easily see there was nothing out of place.

"See anything?" her sister asked, leaning from the back of the truck.

"Oowww! Damn It! NO!" she said as she bumped her head crawling out from under the dash. She turned her head to the side to ease herself out more carefully, but stopped as she looked at the driver's door panel, "…wait – maybe. Get me a Phillips screwdriver and a Torx bit screwdriver, about #4 size I think."

"Ummm, you mean the flat kind, or…" Bo asked as she looked through the myriad of tools in the box.

"Ugh, the plus sign type and the one that looks like a starburst – both about medium size." she explained in exasperation of her sister who owned a fine piece of classic machinery she knew next to nothing about maintaining.

"What is it?" Bo asked as she handed her the tools.

"This car was built in the 1970's – they didn't use Torx bits. And I doubt Stacey would bother replacing missing screws in a cosmetic door panel if she never even bothered replacing the $25 ignition switch." She indicated the screwdriver the renegade Valkyrie used to start the vehicle. "Although, it could have been a previous owner – we'll see!"

Once she removed the bottom screws, she reached a hand inside to feel around the bottom of the door. She did find something, and spewed forth a flurry of forbidden and disgustingly salacious curses that nearly made Bo both blush and grin at their lurid yet imaginative nature.

"Dagny – what is it?" the Succubus asked, ignoring her crass outburst for the moment.

"Broken glass! Well, that explains why she has no window…wait…there's something…" she wriggled her arm further in, then twisted it back out from behind the panel, a now bloody leather pouch clutched in her hand. She stood up and handed it to Bo, then examined her bloody fingers. The cuts weren't deep, but they were painful. "Happy now?"

The Succubus looked at the filthy pouch before carefully opening it. Her eyes grew wide at what she saw, and she looked up at her sister with a toothy grin. "Oh yeah, I'm happy!"

"Good!" her sister stated, after she had refastened the screws and while handing the tools back to her sister. "'night, Bo!" she began heading back to her room, until her sister stopped her.

"NO! We have to get this to the Dal, right NOW! Before they get here." The Succubus had hurried to join her. "I'll get my keys."

"You have fun with that – I'm getting cleaned up and going back to bed before Lauren gets up. She's going to have a shit fit if she finds out I was out of bed." The young fae stated.

"OK, **I'LL** take this to the Dal and find out what it is. And **YOU** can stay here by yourself and explain to Lauren what we were doing…good plan!" Bo hurried past her and bounded up the stairs.

Dagny stopped, and stomped her foot with her head tossed back, "Oh, I SO hate you right now!" she hurried after her sister, "Wait for me!"

"Well, hurry up – _detective_!" the brunette laughed over her shoulder. Once her younger sister had caught up to her, she added – "And you love me – admit it!"

"Maybe…but NOT today! And further more – who are 'they'?" she said as she stomped up the stairs.

Bo cringed at the question, and focused on their mission instead, "Not now, hurry up and get changed. We don't have much time!"

 _ **The Waiting Room outside Evony's Office, Later that evening…**_

Dr. Lewis rubbed the bridge of her nose to relieve the irritation caused by working overtime, which necessitated wearing her reading glassed longer than normal and hence the painful indentations on her nose. She was sitting in the waiting room outside Evony's office; the Morrigan was apparently putting in long hours as well since it was nearly 7 p.m. at night, and 7 o'clock was the appointed time the leader of the Dark fae had asked to meet with her.

Lauren had been surprised by the request for the meeting, and although she felt wary about attending, she agreed. It wasn't a good idea to anger the financial patron of her clinic, especially after nearly getting cut off only the day before. She had called Bo, who was deep in some sort of research, and nearly told her about it but changed her mind. Bo was being evasive about what she was doing at the moment, and why she took off before the sun came up. And so she felt vindicated in not revealing her plans to meet with the Morrigan, and merely informed her wife that she was working late and wouldn't be able to make it home for dinner. Not that she planned on keeping the meeting a secret after the fact, she simply felt that her wife's over-protective instincts might adversely affect her professional relationship with her financier, again.

Evony wanted something from her (obviously) and she, in turn, had a favor of her own to ask. Promptly at 7, the office door opened and Evony walked out and greeted her personally. In a diametrically opposed approach she had used with the Valkyrie earlier in the day, she greeted the human as an equal. "Lauren! Thank you for coming over so late, and on such short notice!" she reached out and took both of the doctor's hands and pulled her to her feet. The blonde was even more shocked when she brushed a brief kiss on both her cheeks in greeting. "Let's chat in my office – I promise I won't keep you long!"

The Morrigan escorted her through the double doors and offered her a seat which she took, and a drink – which she politely declined. Evony got right to the point as soon as she settled into her plush chair. "So, we have the errant Valkyrie in our custody and also have possession of her vehicle. After searching it – and her hole-in-the-wall lair, we haven't been able to locate the object she has stolen. Before we start tearing them both apart, I have to ask you – did you or Bo find anything in your apartment or in her truck?"

"No, I mean – she did leave some dirty clothes at our place, but…wait! Bo found Tamsin's bandoleer of blades in her truck! Is that what they are looking for?" Lauren asked, although she herself doubted that the now rusted blades would be important enough for the Valkyrie to hound Stacey so relentlessly.

"Oh, please woman! No one wants a dead Valkyrie's knives that could be purchased at any pawn shop or gun show! It is something far more valuable and rare. Are you sure you haven't seen anything else?" the brunette asked urgently.

"No Evony, I'm sorry. Bo searched her truck and that was the only item of interest she found. I really didn't pay too much attention to Stacey; Dagny had some…complications related to Pre-Dawning devolving. I was more concerned with stabilizing her condition." Dr. Lewis informed her with sincerity. Dealing with the Morrigan was always a delicate proposition, but she was telling the truth as she knew it and so felt her apprehension disappear.

But the news of the young Valkyrie's health brought out a concern in Evony the doctor could not have predicted, "Dagny isn't well? Is it serious?" she leaned forward in her chair.

"She's fine, for now. I couldn't have predicted the symptoms of devolving in Valkyrie, but she is stable, and I have high hopes for her passing her Dawning." Lauren assuaged the Morrigan's uncharacteristic concern for others.

"That's good news, anyways. I knew it was a good idea to keep you on board, Dr. Lewis! And once she passes her Dawning, she'll be out of the woods. I hear it will be in a few days. Make sure she feeds well, first. Give her my regards, and she's welcome to continue her riding lessons this weekend. And thank you again for meeting with me." She concluded, but noticing her guest fidgeting in her chair instead getting up to leave added, "Was there something else you wanted to discuss?"

"Uhm…yes, there was…I was just wondering if I could speak with Stacey. For my research about Valkyrie…among other things." The doctor asked.

"I'm sorry – but I can't allow that. It's part of my contract with Mistress Acacia that she be isolated until she fulfills her debt to Valhalla. And don't get your panties in a twist; I assure you she is unharmed and being treated well. I don't want to offend your human sensibilities because; I know what that feels like. Thanks to you, of course. But I did let her know who is in charge, since she is uneducated in the politics and power of what the Valkyrie see as the lesser beings of Midgard. You'll see her again soon, but until then – she is allowed no outside influences that might convince her to back out of her bargain with the Valhalla." Evony stood up and walked to the door, indicating the finality of her statement and conclusion of the meeting. Lauren followed her, and exchanged pleasantries with her as she left the office more confused than ever over what exactly was going on.

Once the doors clicked shut behind her, a sudden thought dawned on Lauren she couldn't help but express out loud, "I never even asked her if she was fae again!" The doctor gave the Morrigan her due respect in her mind for the woman's diplomacy and skill at steering conversation. _Can't really blame Bo for not finding out the truth, I guess._

Lauren made her way to her car parked outside without escort; Evony still trusted her – for now. Her mind was reeling with the revelations the Morrigan had given her as well as what she had heard from Bo's sister in her delirious state and seen under the microscope. _I need an uncontaminated DNA sample from Stacey to confirm my hypothesis!_ She thought desperately, but remembering the promise that she would see her former would-be assassin again she felt hopeful. Then doubt crept back into her mind, wondering why her wife was so elusive during their brief phone conversations today as she pulled into the garage of her exclusive apartment building. _She wouldn't give me a straight answer about what she was doing or where she was…and when I asked her about Dagny all she would say is 'she's just fine!' And Dagny isn't even answering her phone at all! That better mean she is home in bed!_

Lost in her conjectures, and just as she walked through the glass door to the lobby, she heard the loud surging engine of a familiar vehicle. _Could that be Bo?_ She paused to discern who it might be, and saw it was the Valkyrie's truck. When the engine quieted as it parked she heard the vehicles' stereo blaring Wagner. _Dagny! I didn't see the Camaro, and she must have gotten her truck from Mark. Why isn't she back in bed after going to the pharmacy, and where is Bo?_ Dr. Lewis hurried upstairs before she could be seen. She opened the door to her apartment locked it behind her, waiting quietly against the wall beside it without bothering to turn on the lights. It was an impulse, and her analytical mind deduced her out-of-character actions must be due to a direct influence of Evony's tactics today combined with her frustration with the secretive nature of her wife, and a punitive reaction to her wife's sister's disobedience. It may not have been a logical course of action, but it was oh so satisfying.

In a scant few minutes her rapid heartbeats ticked off more like hours, the lock clicked open slowly, before the door knob turned equally cautiously. Lauren fought to control her heavy breathing, feeling sure the person behind the door would hear her and run, but just before she gave up and reached out to jerk the door open – it opened a crack of its own accord letting in light from the hallway. She hated to admit how intoxicated the adrenaline rush made her feel. _This must be why Bo loves her detective work so much!_ She thought to herself. Once the door opened wide enough, she could see a familiar blonde head leaning into the room as if to see if the coast was clear.

It wasn't, and Dr. Lewis reached out to snatch one of the young fae's ears, "You are supposed to be in BED! Care to explain yourself young lady? What have you been up to?"


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Sorry about the later than normal update; I'm working in a new position and staying late to help my old shop since they are short handed. Thanks for reading, following, faving & reviewing. I'll update sooner with Bo & Lauren's 'Talk.'**

Dawning of a Valkyrie

Chapter 19: Family Meetings

 _ **At the Dal, not much earlier…**_

"'bout time! Dinner's getting cold!" Mark called to his father from a nearby booth after the wolf appeared from the doorway leading to the basement office of the Dal. Dyson looked around the bar, confused when his eyes didn't fall any of the people he was looking for.

"Mark, where are Bo and Dagny? Bo was supposed to bring our food downstairs." The wolf inquired.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry about that…" he took the last bite of his pizza and swallowed it before continuing, "…after I told you guys the food was here, I woke up Dagny and gave her her truck keys. She asked me what happened to Stacey-"

"-and you took it upon yourself to tell her. What were you thinking?!" Dyson pressed his son intensely, gripping the top edge of the booth and leaning down to emphasis his point.

"That I should tell her the truth." Mark stared directly into his father's eyes to convey the courage of his conviction. "Don't even try to tell me you don't think that was the right thing to do."

"Bo didn't want her to know – not yet anyway! She hasn't passed her Dawning yet, and she is vulnerable!" the elder shifter emphatically tried to school his son.

"I didn't ask you what Bo thought – I asked what you thought was right. Tell me what you believe." He said calmly and got up out of the booth to face his father, not to confront him in anger – but instead to show the man that his opinion should be given just as much consideration as anyone else in their family.

Dyson stood up to his full height as well and stroked his beard while he thought about his honest answer. He sighed out his admission, "I would have told her the truth. BUT - now our research is put on hold." He looked at his son pointedly.

"Then maybe we should have told her sooner. When I did tell her, she asked what time it was, and said she had to go home before Lauren got there or she would be in trouble, and bolted out of here like a bat out of hell. Bo came up a few minutes later, and when I told her Dagny went home – well, she ran after her." Mark calmly related the events while he picked up a napkin and wiped his hands and mouth.

"So – she didn't react at all when you told her about Stacey? She was only concerned about beating Lauren home?" Dyson asked incredulously.

"No – she was kinda pissed off. I told her Stacey wouldn't be harmed, and that she agreed to go willingly. That calmed her down, somewhat. But once she knew what time it was she said Lauren would 'skin her alive' if she found out she was out of bed and sneaking around, and this was all Bo's fault." Mark was grinning widely after he told his father this tidbit.

"Then I wonder why she agreed to come here with Bo in the first place?" Dyson asked, more to himself than to his son.

The younger shifter laughed and clapped a hand on his father's shoulder, "Well, you know Bo! She doesn't even need to use her powers to charm people into doing what she wants them to!"

 _ **Right now, at Lauren & Bo's…**_

"Owwww, Lauren! I'm sorry!….I…could you just…owww….I didn't….I mean…she…" the young Valkyrie stammered out as she was being marched up the stairs unceremoniously by the ear, Lauren only pausing to turn on the lights on the way.

"Oh, SHE made you spend all day out of bed, and come home late on your own. You DO mean Bo, right? I highly doubt that – she was beside herself with worry every time you ran off, when we thought you were abducted – when we thought you might DIE last night! And if that's true – where IS she, Hmm?" Lauren didn't release her prisoner until she had successfully guided her back to her still unmade bed.

The Valkyrie sat down with a loud huff, and pouted for a few seconds before looking up at the doctor with guilt written all over her face and puppy dog eyes. "We picked up my medicine, and then we went to the Dal - She had to do 'important research stuff' with Vex and Dyson and, I don't know – fae elder dudes. Mark brought my truck, and I came straight home so I could go back to bed!"

Lauren scoffed, and looked away for a few seconds in frustration, "No, no, no – she could have called the clinic and had the pills delivered. And really, 'fae elder dudes?' Stop talking below your grade level – I know you only do that when you want to seem more helpless and innocent than you are! I'm not falling for it! You're hiding something! WHAT is she researching?"

Dagny gave up the charade, but hated herself for throwing her sister under the bus. "Something we found in Tamsin's truck." She sighed in resignation and looked away from the unbearable accusatory onslaught of Dr. Lewis's normally soft brown eyes.

"Nice try - Evony already told me she wasn't interested in Tamsin's blades. That was the only thing of interest Bo found in it." Lauren folded her arms across her chest and waited for the girl to come clean. Her wife was keeping something from her, and she wanted to know what it was. And her wife's sister was going to bear the brunt of her anger and frustration as an apparent accomplice in her transgressions. But when the young Valkyrie remained silent and continued to avert her eyes, she demanded their presence with the authority of a parent, "DAGNY, LOOK AT ME!"

Green eyes snapped back to meet her angry expression, and they displayed the shame the girl felt at the betrayal she was about to voice, "Someone called Bo in the early morning hours, then she asked me to help her search the truck more thoroughly before 'they' came to take it away. I found something, and I went with Bo so I didn't have to face you alone. When Mark brought my truck, I was hoping to beat you home and when I got here I thought you were in bed already. If it makes you feel any better, I spent most of the day sleeping on a couch at the Dal!" she finished hopefully.

"Actually – it doesn't. So she _forced_ you to go with her? How, by using her Succubus charms?" Lauren asked in indignant disbelief.

"NO!" Now it was the Valkyrie's turn to be offended. But with that emotion came a sudden epiphany she hadn't considered in her sister's manipulations, "I…I don't think she wanted me to be left alone. And she said it was important, that our father wanted the object returned to its owner, and we should stop that. But once we got to the Dal, she shut me out of whatever they were talking about, and told me to get some rest." She dropped her head and looked at her hands, regretting she was stuck in the middle of a battle of secrets between her sister and the woman who had become her second mother.

The doctor unfolded her arms and sat on the bed next to her as she pulled a strand of her own hair behind an ear to look at the girl more carefully. She placed a comforting arm around her shoulder, knowing full well she wasn't normally receptive to such casual affectionate gestures. But since she and her sister were in trouble for sneaking around in the middle of the night, Lauren knew she wouldn't object too strenuously to any positive attention and took advantage of the opportunity. "What did you find, honey?"

"I don't know. I didn't ask, and she never showed it to me. I got the feeling right away that Bo didn't want to talk with me about it. She told me to take a nap while she met with the others to look through Trick's journals and books about mythology still at the Dal, and other scrolls Dyson got from the Light fae archives. Mark woke me up and told me Bo told him to take Stacey to the Morrigan, and she was my best hope for learning more about who I am. It was late, so I got in my truck and came home. I just want to get through my Dawning, and get on with my life." After her dejected outpouring, she remained silent for a minute or two. The doctor pulled her closer, not sure what to say to her, but relieved when the girl was suddenly over her depressed mood and looked up with her entire face contorted in unease, "I'm sure Bo will tell you everything she was doing. Can we stop being mushy now?"

Before Lauren could agree, and broach the topic of Stacey's alleged human father, they heard the front door open, and Bo calling out to Lauren. "Yes. Yes we can. But you are not off the hook – we'll talk later, about something else." She informed the young Valkyrie with a stern look and finger pointed at her as she got up to answer her wife, "Up here!" Dr. Lewis waited by the door for the brunette to make her way slowly up to the bedroom.

Bo climbed the stairs like she was climbing up to the gallows. _Damn it! I should have left Dagny at home! But I did promise to watch her. Maybe it's better this way – at least I have company in the dog house, and I don't have to deal with my sister smirking and snickering at me because I screwed up and pissed off Lauren. Then again, she usually takes the heat off me when I screw up on my own and she gets caught mocking me. It is kind of easier when her name is moved to the top of Lauren's shit list instead of both of us tied for the top spot…_

Once she had reached her sister's room and tried to kiss her wife, the blonde turned away and motioned for her to join the girl on the bed, "SIT! We are going to clear the air!" the doctor informed her in a tone that brooked no chance for an argument against her command.

The Succubus gave her a look of contrition as she walked to the bed to sit next to the Valkyrie, but she shot daggers at the girl from her eyes at her perceived betrayal. Bo was in no mood to start this conversation, and it appeared her sister was at least in solidarity with her on that front.

But it was Lauren who broke the ice, with a revelation of her own as she stood over the pair, "I had a meeting with Evony this evening-" this got the predicted reaction from the pair, and she cut off any comment or question they might be thinking of with a raised palm, "-and she asked me if we found anything of interest in Stacey's belongings. I am now aware that I lied to her, unknowingly, and it has put me in a difficult predicament. Is there any reason I shouldn't tell her what you two were up to?"

"Yes! But…" the Succubus gave a meaningful sidelong glance to her sister sitting next to her, "…let's go to our bedroom, and I'll tell you all about it."

"No. Say what you have to say in front of all of us. We're all family, after all." Dr. Lewis stood her ground.

Bo looked directly at Dagny with a pained expression; she didn't want to her to hear what she had pieced together from her experiences, what Tamsin had told her, and what she had discovered today. Those green eyes were looking at her expectantly, eager to finally be let into her sister's confidence. She couldn't bear to watch the expression change when she revealed what she had discovered, and so turned her attention back to Lauren when she began. "Well, Tamsin once told me she had always thought Freya controlled her while she was in Valhalla. And, in essence – she was right. That's what she meant when she said she hated what she did while she was there. She had thought she broke away from her control by getting angry with her, but I think she was meant to leave on orders from Jack. Because when she returned when I was there, she tried to kill Kenzi in Valhalla. We thought Jack, er Hades, was controlling her. But it wasn't him – it was Freya, with the aid of her enchanted necklace. Tamsin told me later that she found out Freya had conspired with Hades for centuries, and we found some legends during our research that suggest that gaining control of Valhalla from Odin was her reward. We found the necklace – the Brisingamen- in Tamsin's truck, and I think Jack wants Freya to have it back in order to regain control of Valhalla and the Valkyrie. I knew the necklace must be important, and I didn't want to leave Dagny alone – just in case someone else came looking for it. Tamsin hid it for a reason, and I think she probably planned on destroying it, but…well – you know the rest."

The human was looking at her wife's sister, now regretting her own part in insisting the girl's mother return to help Bo get Kenzi in Valhalla. Dagny had looked away, and was now staring at the wall. _I didn't know…and Tamsin couldn't tell me why she didn't want to go back. Oh God, it must be hard for her to hear that her mother tried to kill Kenzi - the person who raised her, and showered her with love and affection since before she could remember!_ The doctor thought to herself. She turned back to the brunette, and the regretful expression on her face cut her to the very core.

Bo noticed the girl's reaction, and continued, "I don't even know why Tamsin went to Valhalla to help me since she refused every time I asked her and wouldn't even discuss it. I thought she was being stubborn, but now I know she knew what would happen to her – to all of us."

"I convinced her." The human's confession stunned the sisters and they looked to her for explanation. "She wouldn't talk to me either…but I laid enough of a guilt trip on her that she felt she had no choice if she wanted to be a part of our family, since everyone else had suffered and sacrificed except her." She looked at the young fae, who was staring at her, mouth agape in disbelief, "I'm sorry, Dagny. I didn't know – I just thought she was being selfish and didn't really care about Bo, or any of us. That was the night she gave me her journal, and through it I found out that Valkyrie can't discuss their secrets with outsiders. She told me if it were discovered, she would be killed for it. Because of her abrasive personality, I initially misjudged her, and I felt guilty about that for some time until she and I became closer." She closed her eyes and let out a long sigh, relieved to tell the girl secrets the family had long kept from her in an attempt to keep Hades' younger daughter from turning against them and falling under the sway of her evil father.

A gentle hand reaching out and grasping hers brought her out of her thoughts, and she opened her eyes to find that Dagny was looking intently at her. "Thank you, Lauren. But I know you were there for my mother when she needed you most. And you are here, for me…right now. That's all that matters; the past can't be changed." She smiled warmly, but it was tinged with a pensiveness expressed in her eyes.

Lauren squeezed the young blonde's hand gently, and returned her smile equally regretful of how events unfolded. They shared a tender moment of understanding that strengthened the bond between them. But Bo fidgeted on the bed next to her sister until her unease got the attention of the other two women. "Bo, you obviously want to share something with us. What is it?" Lauren asked, somewhat irritated that her wife had spoiled the mood. She released the Valkyrie's hand to fold her arms across her chest, knowing the Succubus' hesitation meant she was going to say something the doctor would object to.

Her reluctance vanished with the darker blondes insistence that she tell her what was bothering her, and Bo jumped up off the bed to face her, "Lauren, WHY did you meet alone with Evony without telling me first!"

The human looked away for a few seconds to stop herself from laughing out loud at the hurt and betrayal in the Succubus' expression. She didn't want this family heart-to-heart to devolve into an argument, and mocking her wife's concern would surely take things to another level. Once she composed herself, she turned back to meet those dark brown eyes and said, "Iiiiiiii - think you know why. And to be completely honest – I was a little hurt that you were so evasive with me about what you were doing. Normally, I would have discussed it with you, but it is important that I see Stacey. I jumped at the chance to ask her, but Evony turned me down."

Bo was shocked that her wife wanted to talk with the Valkyrie that tried to kill her, and her expression reflected that. She looked as if she had just realized she had stepped into a pile of dog crap – barefoot. "You went to see the Morrigan – alone. Without telling me. Because you wanted to talk to STACEY?! The woman who tried to KILL you?" She stepped closer to her wife, not understanding the doctor's motivations.

"Yes." Dr. Lewis told her bluntly and unemotionally.

"May I at least ask WHY you wanted to see Stacey?" Bo huffed with raised eyebrows, still a little upset over the situation especially now that Dagny knew she had turned Stacey over to Evony.

This question finally shook the doctor's composure; she wanted to discuss her theory with Dagny first, before telling her wife. But she was the one who insisted they all air their business openly, so she jumped right into the deep end and told the sisters, "Because when Dagny was delirious she said Stacey's father was human, and that's why she wasn't very powerful. That means there must be something in Valkyrie that makes the normally recessive fae genes dominant. Which would mean…"

"…even with one human parent, the child would be fae…" the Succubus was no scientist, but she followed along.

"I'm sorry to put you on the spot like this, Dagny, but is it true? Is Stacey's father human?" Lauren turned to the young blonde to illicit a confirmation of Stacey's parentage.

The young woman looked shocked by the sudden turn in the conversation, and her green eyes darted between the pair. She opened and closed her mouth without uttering a sound, then cleared her throat and tried again before her faced morphed into a frightened expression. She turned away from their expectant gazes without offering an explanation. She couldn't bear to hear her sister's excited encouraging for her to answer or watch her hopeful expression slowly dissolve into disappointment and frustration any longer.

"But…how could that be true...this is _important_ … Dagny, please…" the Succubus had leaned down and was urging her sister to speak until her wife stopped her with a gentle hand on her arm. Bo turned her eyes quickly to meet Lauren's and stood back up to her full height.

"Bo, she can't tell us – her blood forbids it. Dagny's father – and Tamsin's I assume – was fae. It could take years to isolate the exact anomaly I am looking for unless I have a sample from a Valkyrie known to have human lineage. That's why I had to try to get a DNA sample from Stacey. Still, there may be a chance.." Lauren explained, thinking this would end the friction between her and her wife.

The Succubus, however, did not have a celebratory reaction the way her wife had predicted and instead advocated aggressive plan to get what they wanted from the Morrigan in an exited tone, "Well, I think I can convince her to let you see Stacey – one way or another. Human or not, she is _no_ match-"

"NO! Bo – it was you that turned her over to Evony. You can't just storm the Dark fae or the Valkyrie and start a war to take her back because you changed your mind, no matter how important it is to us." Lauren chided her, equally determined.

There was a silent stand-off of sorts, as the partners eyed each other carefully and tried to think of something to say that would persuade the other. There was a palpable danger of the disagreement escalating into a shouting match leading to someone inevitably sleeping on the couch, and they both knew it. And in the aftermath of their sporadic past arguments, it was usually Bo checking in at Sofa City. But their impasse was broken during this lull in conversation when the Valkyrie suddenly contributed, and changed the direction it was heading. "Lauren, what's going to happen to Stacey?" she asked softly, still studying her own hands now laced together as if in prayer on her lap.

The Succubus and the doctor snapped their attention to the young blonde sitting sullenly on the bed. In their excitement and frustrations with each other's revelations they had forgotten the Valkyrie and the fact that the news of Stacey's imprisonment might be upsetting to her. Especially given the fact that she now knew her own sister had dimed out the fugitive without even consulting with her or even informing her ahead of time.

The doctor shot her wife a sour look that could have been indicative of her feelings about their argument, or how she felt about having to smooth things over between Bo and her sister yet again. Most likely, it was for both reasons. She knelt down in front of the young Valkyrie and gently lifted her chin to look her in the eyes. "Hey, she's going to be alright. Evony is treating her well, on orders from Valhalla. Even the Morrigan knows better than to mess with the Valkyrie. And she said we will see her again soon, she just has to do something for Acacia in order to end her banishment. Isn't that what she wanted?"

"I…I think she just wanted to be left alone, and she wanted Bo's help – but I'm sure she didn't want to be locked up." She glared at her sister as she finished.

"HA! That evil bitch isn't going to get half the retribution she deserves from Evony or Valhalla!" the Succubus' ire now pivoted from her wife, to an easier and safer target – her sister.

Lauren stood with the young Valkyrie as she rose from the bed to face her sister, light brown eyes darting back and forth between the pair to gauge if their expressions indicated a need for her intervention.

"I should have listened to her when she warned me you were angry at her _and_ my mother and wouldn't help her. So it's my fault she's locked up; I don't blame you, Bo. No need to get defensive." The younger blonde stated regretfully, unwilling to instigate another pointless argument with her sister. But her thoughts were wandering into places she didn't want to reveal to the pair of lovers. _I could understand why Bo would turn Stacey in if she honestly believes dangerous – but now she's ready to take on both the Dark fae and the Valkyrie to spring her, but only for her own purposes! What is going through her mind? That's just not right._

Her sister's unforeseen surrender caused the Succubus to backpedal and deny at least part of the young Valkyrie's statement. But she totally misjudged the cause of the girl's morose mood. "No, no – Dagny! I wasn't mad at your mother! I was just disappointed that she was with Stacey. I only wanted to talk with her, about….but…" she stumbled when she remembered she wanted to try to convince the heartbroken Valkyrie not to leave her. And Tamsin had nearly capitulated to her request to talk – until the Valkyrie pointed out that Lauren had entered the bar and she walked away. The Succubus closed her eyes as if looking for a way to explain the past diplomatically on the insides of her eyelids.

She didn't wait long, and was pulled from her tongue-tied state by the Valkyrie, "Well, don't worry - you'll get your chance to talk to Stacey again, if Evony told Lauren the truth." Dagny reached out and her patted shoulder briefly. When Bo opened her eyes, she smiled at her and told her, " I'm going to take a shower and go to bed. I'm sure you two have a lot you want to talk about."

The blonde dropped her hand and strode over to her chest-of drawers to pull out some clothes and a robe as the married couple watched with an incredulity the Succubus expressed aloud, "It's _only_ 8 o'clock! We should talk about this! And how can you possibly be able to go back to sleep when you spent most of the day unconscious?"

"Oh…I don't know…" the girl answered with her back turned, but turned around to face them when she added sarcastically with a scrunch of her nose, "…call it a gift!" She proceeded towards the bathroom until her sister began objecting.

"Dagny, I don't know what-" Bo began suspiciously.

The young fae whirled on her, set off by the accusatory tone of her sister, "I'm not going to try to sneak out while you two are…doing whatever you plan on doing tonight. My Dawning is in two days; and I'm _tired._ Can't we leave it at that?" She concluded in exasperation as her shoulders slumped in evidence of her assertions.

"Yes, of course sweetie. Go on." Lauren chimed in before her wife put her foot in her mouth again. But while the Valkyrie was grateful for the doctor's intervention and left the room, the Succubus pouted.

"I thought you wanted us to clear the air tonight, family style?" Bo asked as she crossed her arms across her stomach.

"I did – until you sucked all of the oxygen out of the room!" the blonde doctor mimicked her posture, although she kept her tone light and lacking the irritation her wife expressed.

"ME? She's the one who ran off! And you LET her! I just don't think _now_ is the right time to tell her every detail about her mother! Tell me I'm wrong about that!" the brunette stepped closer as if to dare her wife to deny her statement.

To her surprise, Lauren laughed, "Oh babe – I can't even pretend to know if you are right or wrong about that. But I DO know that you weren't listening to what she was saying!" the doctor reached out and held her wife's shoulder's and stare directly into those deep brown eyes when she saw the Succubus was about to vehemently deny her, "Bo, you missed half the conversation. She wasn't asking about Tamsin's past just now. She's worried about her Dawning! And Stacey was her one hope to learn more about Valkyrie before she faced her test!"

Bo groaned in the epiphany her wife had led her to so carefully, "Oooowwwhhhh, and I sold Stacey out not knowing Freya controlled the Valkyrie through enchantment! I never told her, and then changed the subject when she tried to discuss it with me! Oh God, I'm a _terrible_ sister!" She turned away, the arms she crossed over her midsection now wrapping more completely around her body in a self-comforting gesture.

She needn't have bothered, because almost immediately firm hands pulled her closer and a pair of slender arms snaked their way across her abdomen and joined her own. Lauren pulled her close from behind and rested her head on the sullen Succubus' shoulder. "Yup. Just awful. The _worst._ "

"You're not helping ya know." Bo said with her head turned to look at the blonde. She sighed and looked forward again. "I should have known – she took off from the Dal without telling me as soon as Mark got there. He isn't exactly known for keeping his mouth shut. I guess I should go talk to her."

"Hmmm.." Lauren hummed in thought, "…I don't think so. She's too much like her mother in at least one respect – when she feels hurt she isn't going to talk about it until she's ready to; and if you press her on it she'll only shut down, emotionally or get snarky and sarcastic until you both end up fighting. I have a better idea."

Bo twisted around in their embrace until they were facing each other, "Good! Because I'm fresh out of bright ideas." she said with a disappointed frown.

"Dagny was right – you and I should talk!"


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: I still stand by my position on magical babies being no me gusto. That said, my two years of college organic chemistry and biology are a little hazy now. So, I may be playing fast and loose with the science; but, eh, I'll roll with it. Seems legit, from what I know as a news junky. Daddy always said I knew a little about everything and a whole lot about nothin'.**

 **My outline had a lot more plot development in this chapter, but I just kept writing and writing this scene until everything else got pushed out. And I didn't just step out of my comfort zone – I bought a ticket on the redeye landing at least two time zones away from it on so many levels. Anyways, when I went to edit it down or cut it short, I figured I must have kept going subconsciously as a 'Thank You' to all the Doccubus shippers supporting the story, so – thanks guys. I let it be. I hope you like it since I really don't do sexy times too well. Also, I may be pushing the envelope of a T rating. Soooo, let me know if I need to edit or change rating.**

Dawning of a Valkyrie

Chapter 20: No Words Needed in a Cloud of Eiderdown

"Sooo…. did she say anything else…?" Bo asked her wife with her back turned to her as she squeezed toothpaste on her brush and eyed the hazy image of the blonde in the shower via the bathroom mirror.

"Did _who_ say anything?" Lauren asked over the sound of running water behind the shower door.

Bo sighed; she had still not atoned for her transgressions and now was as good a time as any, "Look, I'm sorry! I should have told you we found what the Morrigan was looking for, and I really didn't want to leave Dagny alone after we did. I was just…trying to keep you out of it. I am certain it would be dangerous if it gets returned, and I thought it might cause unnecessary tension between you and Evony if you knew. So please…what did she say?"

"Who, Evony?" Lauren asked from the shower, in a mockingly innocent and ignorant tone.

"Don't be facetious, Lauren! You know _**who**_ I mean." The Succubus rolled her eyes and began brushing her teeth.

"Facetious, huh. Well played, but 'obtuse' or 'pedantic' would have earned you some points." The doctor giggled in the shower.

The brunette spit out some of the foam from her mouth into the sink and frowned at the reflection of her wife peeking out of the shower door in the mirror, "Let's not bandy semantics!" she scowled. _Everything in my life seems to be circling the drain, and she is as giddy as a farm kid about to go to the county fair with a blue ribbon winning steer! Ooohhhhh, I get it now - This is my payback for sneaking around and being evasive when she asked what Dagny and I were doing. She is giving me a lesson in frustration._

"Alright – you win! I'll give you bonus points for that!" the blonde had a smarmy grin plastered on her face, but when she saw the eye roll and withering look her wife was giving her in the mirror she ducked back into the shower to turn off the water. "Ok, ok. You don't feel like playing vocabulary games tonight. I didn't ask her anything, and she didn't say much. I just got my blood samples and said goodnight."

Bo grunted and resumed brushing her teeth as Lauren stepped out of the shower to towel herself dry. The Succubus wondered to herself why her wife was in such a good mood and gave up on her passive-aggressive punishment so easily. _I bet she's looking forward to our talk about having a child together. I guess I really should be grateful that I won't be sleeping alone tonight. I can just imagine the smug look on Dagny's face if she went down stairs in the morning and saw me sleeping on the couch._

Lauren began applying lotion to her skin and waited for her wife to rinse her mouth before explaining further, just to prevent any inadvertent spitting of toothpaste on the mirror if anything she said was objectionable to the brunette. "When I told her I needed two samples - one before and one 15 minutes after her medication she said she was beginning to suspect I was a vampire and not human at all."

The Succubus ignored the joke and turned around, leaning against the sink as she gripped it with both hands. She was watching her wife shrewdly as she asked, "She didn't say anything else about Stacey?"

"No…but she…no." Lauren grabbed her robe and put it on, cursing herself silently. _I don't think Bo needs to hear her sister said "I hope you two can agree to have a child so Bo can stop treating_ _ **me**_ _like one" while we were waiting to take the second sample. She didn't seem to listen to Dagny at all, but I hope she will listen to me tonight. And this is not the way to start that conversation; dragging their sibling rivalry into our future plans is a guarantee of failure._

"Don't Lauren….just…don't." Bo stated in exasperation and extended one arm, open palm towards her wife in a stopping gesture; the blonde's slip of the tongue was not lost on her. She had reached the limit of her patience with people refusing to talk to her tonight. The lesson her wife taught her was well learned.

Lauren smiled as the mischievous twinkling in her eyes gave the Succubus the evidence she needed to confirm that the doctor was giving her a taste of her own medicine, but was now ready to move on. "She asked if she could go to the Dal first thing in the morning to do some research for her Dawning. I told her that would be alright."

"But Dyson won't be there tomorrow, we both have a meeting to go to!" the Succubus pushed away from the sink to walk up to her wife.

"Lilly will be there; she's working early tomorrow. I texted her and asked her to keep an eye on her. And before you engage in any conjecture on her running away to rescue Stacey – she agreed to call me if Dagny wasn't at the Dal by 7:30 in the morning. She'll be fine." Lauren cooed, rubbing the brunette's shoulders covered by the Succubus' silk robe. The brunette never was a fan of terrycloth robes.

"Not if her psychotic girlfriend is there." Bo grumbled. Lilly was a daughter of one of Dyson's old pack members, and a distant family member by such convoluted familial connections that neither Bo nor Lauren could exactly remember how they were kin. But Dyson was as protective of her as if she was his own daughter, and gave her a job at the Dal. But since she moved to the colony a couple of years ago, her recent girlfriend Nyla was ever a thorn in the Succubus' side whenever they met. Nyla was an Amazon, and former guard at Hecuba Prison. To make matters worse, Dagny and Nyla seemed to share a mutual animosity that was obvious by their expressions and body language despite the fact that the pair had never even exchanged words with each other. _It's almost like an instinctual hatred for each other –the Amazon and the Valkyrie act like members of rival college sororities that despise each other for no reason other than they belong to another team!_ Bo thought, imagining that their simmering battle of hateful looks could boil over into a physical altercation in her absence.

"I think Dagny can handle an obsessive Amazon so insecure she dates a submissive wood nymph!" Lauren laughed. "Besides, Lilly is powerful in her own way, and Nyla knows better than to cause too much trouble at the Dal, or harm Dagny in any way. She **needs** to do this Bo – it's her Dawning. You can't be there to protect her every minute of the day, and you won't be there when she goes through it."

"All right." Bo reluctantly agreed, not wanted to spoil her wife's good mood after narrowly getting out of trouble with her and eager to move on to more important topics. She reached out and grabbed her wife's arm to pull her out of the master bathroom and into the master bedroom. "C'mon! Let's get to that doctor talk I've been looking forward to!"

They lounged on their sides on the bed, facing each other still dressed in their robes. Bo's mood was much improved after her wife's assurances that Dagny wasn't planning on running out on them again. And truth be told, she was relieved that Lauren was no longer upset with her. She waited for Dr. Lewis to begin, after all – she was the subject matter expert and it was her story to tell. "Bo, before we talk about what _might_ be possible, I think we should go over our options that are feasible at this time. And I'd like to state again for the record I would be perfectly happy to raise a fae child of yours with you even if he or she did not share my DNA."

Bo nodded after she propped her head up resting on one hand, arm bent at the elbow. "Duly noted. And let the record reflect that I would be equally happy with a _human_ child, so long as he or she shared part of your DNA – but preferably both of ours which you admitted may be possible with recent scientific experiments."

Lauren propped herself up as the Succubus had done to meet her eyes, "So, bottom line – this remains the point of contention between us. But I _know_ you Bo; having to lose both me and our human child in your lifetime would be devastating to you. Parents shouldn't have to bury their children, fae or human."

"I hear what you are saying – but it would be just as devastating to me if you left this world without leaving a piece of you behind. And there is always hope that you can find a way for both of you to be fae after the child is born." she answered earnestly, reaching out to place her free hand on the blonde's arm resting on the bed sheets.

Lauren nodded, "Now that we have established that we still disagree on this, let's discuss the possibilities. IF Stacey's father is human, and IF I can isolate exactly what makes their genes dominant over human genes when the reverse is true for all other fae, and IF I don't discover any adverse side effects – using gene splicing it might be possible for us to have a fae child that shares both of our DNA, one chromosome from each of us."

"That's a lot of 'if's Lauren. And now that I've thought about it, I am beginning to believe Dagny was out of her mind and didn't know what she was saying. Or - and more likely - Stacey was lying." The Succubus scowled, her irritation rising once more at the errant blonde who yet again barged into their lives to cause trouble.

"But why would she lie about that? I'm sure it's a terribly embarrassing thing for a Valkyrie, let alone any fae, to admit!" Dr. Lewis pulled her arm from her wife's grasp and sat up, brushing her damp hair away from her face. Their plans hinged on the truth of the Valkyrie's paternal heritage first and foremost before proceeding any further. She hadn't expected pushback this early in the discussion.

Bo sighed, and lay on her back as she stared at the ceiling. "She probably made it up as an excuse as to why she is such a shitty Valkyrie and had to have a baby fae like Dagny to protect her. I just don't see how it's possible her father was human when everything we know says the pairing of a fae and a human results in a human child. It doesn't even make sense."

"It makes PERFECT sense, in terms of evolutionary adaptation!" when the brunette scoffed and rolled her eyes, the doctor leaned over her to drill a bit of scientific evolutionary theory into her. "Fae feed off of humans; and they live extraordinarily long lives. But their reproductive rates are extremely low, comparatively. Except cabbits – but they aren't very powerful and don't live nearly as long as most other fae. They are also highly susceptible to diseases others are more resistant to and…" Bo turned her head and gave her a wry look, whose meaning Lauren acknowledged with a raised hand, "…but I digress. My point is – it is an evolutionary adaption for prey animals to live shorter lives but outbreed predators. A predator out breeding its food source results in extinction. But Valkyrie seem to be neither prey nor predator – and they can only have ONE child before they expire. It only makes sense that they lasted this long by genetically adapting to ensure their single offspring would be one of their own, no matter who the father is. There are no male Valkyrie, so they have to mate outside their species. It's quite simple reasoning, really; nature always finds a balance."

"But, that can't be true or it would be the same for Amazons!" Bo argued, thinking of their earlier conversation about Nyla. There were no male Amazon's either.

"No! The only thing Valkyrie have in common with the Amazons is that they are an exclusively female society. Amazons can have more than one child, and their male offspring take after the father and are expelled from the tribe. The Amazon gene is a sex-linked trait – and both X chromosomes of Amazon women carry those traits. It is still a recessive gene." Lauren looked at her wife intently, hoping she would understand the science she was carefully explain without appearing to be condescending by dumbing it down too much.

"You're right. That does make sense. Sexy and smart, no wonder I love you so much!" the Succubus' eyes glowed blue as she reached out for her lover to pull her down, now distracted from their conversation by her supernatural libido and attraction to the human doctor.

"Ah, ah…no! We haven't finished our 'talk' yet!" Lauren scolded and pulled away. "Even if my theory is true – it may be that the Valkyrie genes mutated long ago into a dominate trait. But I doubt it, given that natural mutations are recessive and the Valkyrie were most likely purposefully created from other fae by the Ancients to serve them."

"How? I doubt they had scientists with a specialty in genetics in Valhalla way back when!" the brunette scoffed while her hands fidgeted with the tie of Lauren's robe, wanting nothing more than to undress her wife, pin her to the bed, and make her beg for an organism.

"I don't know; magic – as Trick would say." She opened her mouth to bring up the question of how Jack could have impregnated Tamsin without her knowledge, knowing that the Valkyrie was nothing if not promiscuous in her former life with numerous fae males. But since none of them knew anything about Valkyrie fertility and it was a sore subject, she let it go.

"Magic?" her wife encouraged with an amused expression as she dropped the terry cloth belt. _If Lauren was admitting to that, she must be serious about her theory._

The blonde shook her head and continued, "I am betting that whatever 'magic' created Valkyrie has left evidence I will find scientifically, like a unique allele that turns fae DNA dominant instead of recessive. I could splice it to your fae chromosomes and – BINGO!"

"Ok, assuming all of your science is right – what are the possible side effects you were talking about?" Bo gave up on her seduction, recognizing that this conversation was more important to her wife than a marathon love-making session that could be postponed for another time.

"Well, from proven science and what I know that is unique about Valkyrie biology among fae - One: Our child would have to be female…" Dr. Lewis began ticking off what they might expect if they were successful in creating a child that shared both their genes.

"Of course. Neither of us have Y chromosomes….next!" Bo was proud she remembered that bit of high school biology.

"Two: The child may experience extremely rapid development and maturation, even prenatally…"

"Not as much fun, but totally acceptable…"

Lauren laid down on her stomach propped on her elbows before sighing, "And…There may be an abnormally high probability that the mother will die giving birth to her…"

"Annndddd…that's the deal breaker!" Bo exclaimed with finality. "That is one risk I am not willing for either one of us to take." She added emphatically.

"Bo, don't give up so easily – we haven't even started researching this! And for every possible negative side effect – there might be a serendipitous breakthrough! Remember; we are only talking in hypotheticals right now, and this is the first time in years we have moved this discussion forward!" the doctor leaned down so her face was inches from Bo's, and her eye's searched for any hint of why her wife would shut down this plan of action before anything was verified by research.

The brunette rolled on her side to face her fully, "Babe – this sounds like a big waste of time! I don't-"

"Stop right there! I'm not asking for a commitment to go forward with this without vetting the premise or full disclosure of the risks; I only want your input and support in exploring the possibilities before we decide! I don't want hide what I am researching from you this time, Bo. And I don't want you to hide what you are doing from me. We always end up hurting each other when we do that, no matter how honorable our intentions."

The Succubus reached out and laid a hand on the side of her wife's face, "But Lauren, there is no guarantee that any of this is safe, possible or even based on fact! I'm afraid you'll get your hopes up while you chase a red herring only to end up heartbroken and disappointed, or worse." _I nearly lost her when she tried to become fae using Jack's advice without telling me – I can't go through that again._

Dr. Lewis grabbed the hand on her cheek and held it there while she twisted her body so they were laying facing each other again. She slowly brought her lover's hand to her lips and placed a lingering kiss on it gently before returning it to its position on her face. Smiling sadly, she professed, "There ARE no guarantees in life! But that's what makes life worth living – not the certainty of success and happiness, but the possibility you will find it if you work hard enough for it. And while we are struggling for joy, or success, or meaning in life, or love – hope is the fuel that keeps us going even after we fail time and time again. And no matter how things turn out - hope can be enough to make us happy along the way, if we only pause and recognize it once in awhile."

This simple altruism from the lips of the highly educated doctor who over analyzed everything but only in strictly scientific terms touched the Succubus whose forte was love and desire. She rolled on top of the blonde gently and wordlessly and propped herself up on her elbows placed on either side of her lover. As the woman beneath her searched her face for some clue to her mood, with both her hands she gently pushed the damp blonde hair back so it couldn't hide a single millimeter of the beloved face of her wife.

"Bo…?" the doctor whispered, not able to read the brunette's expression.

In answer, the Succubus leaned down and placed a brief and chaste kiss on her lips. Pulling back, she paused and stared into those eyes she fell in love with from the first moment she saw them. They were the color of a refreshing ice cold glass of sweet tea on a sweltering summer afternoon, a warming tumbler of single malt scotch on a cold winter night. They sparkled with infectious joy like the last rays of the setting sun dancing across a lazy creek but could also be flat and hard as humongous boulders falling across your path in an avalanche of anger. They were anything and everything she needed just when she needed it most whenever she sought them out. But right now they were asking of her, not offering.

And the Succubus did her best to be everything that the doctor right was to her **for** her right now as she leaned down and pressed their lips together again. She lingered this time, languidly progressing the kiss beyond the mere movement off lips against each other to tongues, nipping and sucking as she settled her body against the one under her. She controlled herself easily as Lauren moaned into her open mouth with desire. But when the doctor's hands traveled to her hips and she used them to pull the brunette against her as she pushed her own pelvis upwards, the Succubus felt the ever present need within her had turned her eyes glowing blue and was urging her towards a quick resolution.

Bo broke the kiss with a hissing intake of breath and pushed herself up and away, eyes closed. The couple enjoyed their wild and unbridled lust-fueled sex, role playing, and bedroom games – no doubt. But the Succubus didn't want this to be a lustful romp with a sex demon for her human wife. She wasn't afraid of hurting her, but she didn't want this to be dictated by her nature – their union tonight should just simply a joining of Bo and Lauren. She fought to calm her rapid breathing in an attempt to halter the untamed beast of her Succubus and control it, at least for tonight. She took in a final deep breath before letting it out slowly. It carried the name of her lover with it as if she were pleading to her for mercy, forgiveness, or both with a singular word. "Laauureennnn…." With all that was going on in their lives, she hadn't fed enough in the past week, and didn't open her eyes until she was sure they were their normal dark chocolate brown.

She saw that the doctor's expression was concerned when she could focus on it once again, and she preempted whatever her wife was about to say once their eyes locked with a smoldering look and a thumb ghosted over the soft lips beneath her. "Shhhh. Shhhh. It's Ok, Lauren. Shhhh." She could feel the blonde's heart thundering against her own chest and saw the question in her eyes, but took her time answering it despite her own desires causing her heart to race. A sanguine smile flirted with the corners of mouth as she leaned down and kissed her wife once again, gently pressing her tongue against the doctor's lips drawn together in worry until they relented and parted. As she settled back down, she set her hands adrift southward across her lover's body to open her robe and explore tentatively. She didn't know how long she could hold herself back, and broke the kiss so she could muster the courage and concentration to tell her wife what she wanted to hear; what she desperately needed to tell her in a way that made her sincerity unquestionable. She shivered and rested her head next to Lauren's on the bed to catch her breath. Her wife instinctually understood the Succubus' inner struggle now, and rubbed her hand up and down the back of the brunette soothingly as the Succubus lay seemingly helpless on top of her.

Bo swallowed with effort, as if with that action she could push down her sexual hunger and whispered into the blonde hair, "Lauren…" In a final exhibition of self-control, she pushed herself up to look her wife in the eyes and tell her what she longed to hear, and what she needed her to know. Dark brown eyes looked into those light brown ones that meant everything to her one last time in case the Succubus within her took control and their lovemaking became a relentless drive for sexual gratification. "…let's make a baby together."

Dr. Lewis bit down on her own lower lip after she sucked in a breath and held it. During a more playful bedroom escapade she would have made a sardonic quip about the impossibility of sex between two women resulting in a pregnancy, but it was entirely inappropriate right now. The only reply she could give without breaking down in tears was a barely perceptible nod as she slid her hands up her wife's back and into her thick, dark hair. Once her fingers had captured fistfuls of silken locks, she pulled the brunette down to kiss her. That was the last time tonight she would take the lead and steer their love making in any direction. She understood know what the Succubus was doing, and she willingly allowed herself to fall under the spell she was weaving as the brunette cautiously slid one of her thighs between the doctor's legs.

Over the years, their love and desire for each other never waned – but its constant presence became something they took for granted and didn't focus on as the mundane necessities of everyday life demanded their full attention. It was normal for any couple who had been together for a long period of time that they didn't felt the joy, passion, and fear of love as strongly as when they first got together. But Bo was taking them back to that moment in time, slowly and gingerly as if she were afraid of going too far too fast with a new lover she was hopelessly besotted with and feared might end their love making. But now there was no servitude to the Ash, no ulterior motives and no worry of her Succubus nature causing her human lover injure. Bo was dusting off their shared love – polishing it, and making it seem so new, shiningly beautiful and terrifyingly sublime that neither of them could turn away from it or think of anything else. Lauren closed her eyes and trembled at the feeling, and it caused her lover to stop gently suckling on her neck and pull away.

The brunette leaned back and propped herself up on one arm as she feathered the fingers of her other hand over the lips of the human under her. When Lauren opened her eyes at the touch, she saw Bo looking longingly into her eyes as if silently asking permission to escalate their intimacy. And she gave her consent, without words that might shatter the carefully crafted and fragile illusion that they were sharing their bodies for the first time. She lifted her head slightly and took an index finger into her mouth, running her tongue over it and gently holding it between her teeth. Before she released it, she wrapping her lips around and sucked on it with a needy and pleading look in her eyes.

The Succubus smiled in gratitude and sat back; the doctor swallowed and panted nearly fearful that she had overstepped and spoiled the mood. Bo had dropped her eyes to find the belt of her silk robe, untying it slowly. She looked up once she had succeeded, but didn't fully open her robe. Instead she watched and waited until her lover's eyes met hers, then slowly and almost shyly pulled the robe off her shoulders. The look on her face was cautiously optimistic and gave the impression she was gauging her lover's reaction and hoping she found her body attractive. Lauren hitched her breath in and hesitantly laid her trembling hands on the brunette's thighs, kneading the tensed muscles after they flinched at her initial touch.

Bo's grateful smile returned as she blushed and unhurriedly shrugged out of her robe completely, eyes never leaving Lauren's. Once free of the garment, she took the blonde's hands into her own and pulled her up to join her in a sitting position. She reached out both her hands to grasp her face and pull her into a leisurely kiss, then drew back to slowly drift her hands down the blonde neck and onto her shoulders. As they continued their torturously slow journey down the doctor's arms, they took the already open terrycloth robe along with them until her lover was completely naked in front of her. The dark brown eyes had left Lauren's gaze to follow the robe's progress and eagerly drift over every newly revealed patch of skin with growing desire.

Lauren bit her lip in frustration and trembled. She wanted to say something to express her joy and appreciation at this moment, but she felt like she might ruin the mood or cry with the overwhelming and conflicting emotions she felt. They had been casually naked in front of each other less than an hour ago, showering, undressing and dressing without a lustful glance or bringing attention to the fact that they desired each other, sexually. Had her wife been looking at her face, she would have seen that Bo was blushing, as well. Her body wasn't as young and nubile as she was when they first met – but Bo had erased those years and the knowledge that they could and did have sex regularly. As the Succubus looked into her eyes again and laid her gently back on the bed, she sighed in anticipation as the emotions Bo brought out in her made the mutual fantasy she had succumbed to feel frighteningly real to her.

The brunette captured her lips once again, less tentatively than before as her tongue pushed past the doctor's lips to seek out and dance with her lover's. Lauren wrapped her arms around the Succubus' back and pulled her closer, her own body writhing under her wife's in her need for release. Bo answered by breaking their kiss and reaching behind her to pull away one of Lauren's hands and pinning it to the mattress, lacing their fingers together as her mouth traveled to the doctor's neck. She softly stroked the captive hand with a thumb while the other explored and stroked the blondes' body before staking a new claim inexorably southward, replaced each time by her lips, tenderly teasing teeth, and tongue.

Lauren tilted her head back on the pillow, close to climaxing. She let out a whine that escaped her tightly drawn lips without permission. Her body's revolt against her conscious control reached her legs, which seemed to have grown a will of their own as well and began restlessly bending at the knees off the bed before changing their mind and sliding back down to their full length. She knew the moment Bo touched her intimately, she would lose what little remained of her power over her own body and organism.

The blonde's thoughts turned to how embarrassing this was about to be when somehow her wife sensed what she was thinking and squeezed her hand in reassurance without pausing her actions. Lauren responded by squeezing her hand in acknowledgement as she opened her mouth to pant heavily, chest heaving up and down. This _would_ be embarrassing to brand new lovers; if they succumbed too quickly to the giddy intoxication their first time together and felt inadequate in some way because of it. But they weren't unknown to each other – the excitement, uncertainty and overwhelming joy of new love had been replaced by shared trust, confidence and easy comfort with each other which didn't normally bring arousal so quickly. As soon as Bo moved on from the quivering and heaving abdomen under her to lower regions, Lauren gave up and let herself go. _This is the best of both worlds…_ she thought before she lost control of her mind, as well as her body. She arched her back and cried out vociferously, forgetting that their home had another occupant not far away who would undoubtedly hear her piercingly loud and involuntarily vocalizations in the throes of ecstasy. Not that it would have made any difference if she did remember, at least not tonight. And she wasn't ashamed at all.


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Thanks for reading everyone.**

Dawning of a Valkyrie

Chapter 21: Dreams, Stories, and Wishes

The dream started off innocently and normally, or as normally as dreams do. She and Lauren were decorating a nursery in preparation for the birth of their child, playfully arguing over the decor. Kenzi was there, adding her flair with the gift of a large Russian nesting doll. When Bo took it from her and opened the first lid, she found a bottle of Russian vodka. "Oops! Sorry, wrong doll!" Dream Kenzi exclaimed and promptly disappeared. The Bo she was in her dream wasn't concerned; Dyson was there with bagpipes and that drew her attention. Lauren shoved him out the door and followed him down the hall, the droning and squealing of the instrument nearly drowning her shouts for him to stop. Vex and Mark came in with Evony, the Mesmer offering little tiny leather outfits and baby sized daggers for her soon to be born baby, which she rejected outright. The young shifter handed her a small kitten she willingly accepted, but it grew rapidly in her arms until it became the size of a small pony and jumped out of the window. Dream Bo laughed and looked at Evony expectantly until the Morrigan gestured for her to look behind her.

Bo turned around and saw an old fashioned wooden rocking horse, _the_ rocking horse. Her face was a mask of horror. "What's the matter, Bo? C'mon …everybody _loves_ horses! Especially Dagny!" Dream Evony, now dressed in traditional English riding attire, mocked her and laughed wickedly as the room spun around her. The only thing she could keep in focus was the rocking horse from her own nursery; it was the same one she saw in the 'nursery' Jack set up for Tamsin. She closed her eyes against the dizzying vision.

The sound of loud, unrestrained sobbing and wailing caused her to open her eyes. She knew the scene had changed before she could even see it. She didn't want to turn around; she knew what she would see behind her. But turn around she did when the woman behind her finally controlled her sobs long enough to form coherent words, "B-Bo! Please, Bo! He took my wings!" The Succubus turned in her dream and walked over to the cage in which she was locked. She kneeled down, just as she had done so many years ago as the heavily pregnant Valkyrie scooted awkwardly across the floor to face her through the bars.

"You look like shit, Tamsin." Dream Bo stated flatly and obviously. The blonde hair the Valkyrie always took meticulous care of was dirty, uncombed and plastered against her head with sweat.

But Dream Tamsin ignored the statement, "Bo, he's going to take my baby!" she whispered hoarsely, her voice cracking. Tears fell freely from her watery eyes, and her nose was red and dripping clear mucous. Her face was contorted as fear and despair fought for control of her expression, and the knuckles of her hands were white as she gripped the bars tightly.

The Succubus knew her eyes were glowing brilliant blue now, as she reached out slowly and covered one of the Valkyrie's hands with her own, "I **won't** let that happen. He only needs _**me**_!" she snarled. And it was at this time, part of Bo's mind fought actively against her dream, trying to gain control of her dream persona or wake herself as her sleeping body twitched and squirmed with her efforts. But she failed, and Dream Bo began draining the unresistant Tamsin of her chi. Somehow she knew she wouldn't stop until the Valkyrie was dead, and the only thing she could do to control herself in the dream was close her eyes so she didn't have to see it happen. But the moans and grunts of the dying woman sounded wrong, so wrong. She heard the lifeless body drop to the floor with a thud, and squeezed her eyes shut tighter. _Don't look, don't look, for God's sake don't look…_ the mantra she repeated in her mind failed to stop Dream Bo from opening her eyes and investigating her handiwork.

The pregnant blonde was dead, alright – but it wasn't Tamsin. It was Lauren, one arm protectively over her swollen abdomen as if to protect her unborn child and her eyes still open in shock and horror. The bright brown orbs were swiftly glazing over as her life force had already left her body. Bo screamed, but all she could hear was her father's laughter echoing ever louder in her head.

Her restless legs finally succeeded in jerking her awake, and once she was conscious she realized she was panting heavily and drenched in a cold sweat. Lauren, head resting on the brunettes now heaving chest, mumbled something that may have been out of concern for her wife's state in a sleepy, half-conscious way that spoke to the fact that she wasn't fully cognizant. Bo shushed her gently and laid a kiss on her forehead, her eyes closed tightly as she lingered longer than she would have on any other similar circumstance. The dream had shaken her more than she cared to admit, even to herself. "It's all right, babe - go back to sleep. I just need a drink of water."

She extricated herself carefully from her wife's embrace and searched for her robe in the darkness. Finding at the end of the bed, she shrugged it on and exited the bedroom. She did need a drink, but water wasn't going to do the trick. As she padded quietly down the hall, she heard the muffled sounds of rapid gunfire and froze outside Dagny's closed door. "Super 6 one is going down! We got a bird down in the city." Bo smiled as she heard the movie dialogue and shook her head. _What_ _ **is**_ _it with that girl and her war movies!? I thought she said she was tired!_ She put her hand on the doorknob, but paused before she turned it. Lauren told her the Valkyrie would talk when she was ready to, and if the sisters ended up arguing in the middle of the night it would certainly wake the doctor and sling them right out of Dr. Lewis' good graces, again. She dropped the idea and crept downstairs in the dark, thinking her sister had probably fell asleep watching the movie, anyways.

Once downstairs, she discovered the light over the stove in the kitchen was still on. Not unusual, but irritating – the Valkyrie shared her mother's habit of waking up and 'night eating' in the wee hours of the morning. She left the light on for now, and pulled a bottle of wine out of the chiller. After she had downed the first glass, she began to relax from her anxieties about the future vividly highlighted by her dream and moved to the couch to get more comfortable. But before she could sit down, she noticed even in the dim light that the deadbolt on the front door wasn't locked. Her instinctual reaction was to raise the alarm and search the house, but her thoughts replayed the memories of last night and she realized in her earlier apprehension she had never locked it after Lauren had angrily called her upstairs when she got home. Huffing, she walked over and corrected her earlier oversight, and sat down to calm herself enough to hopefully go back to sleep.

Just as she settled down, she heard the unmistakable sound of the doorknob turning. Looking around in alarm, she knew she had no time to search for a weapon. But she WAS a weapon, and was now excited about the idea that a much needed midnight snack might be on the other side of the door in the form of a hapless intruder. _Gods, I hope there are at least two of them…_ Bo set the wine glass on the coffee table and crept over to the door to look out of the peep hole, eyes glowing blue. But there was no one outside of the door or in the hallway. She shook her head; her mind must be playing tricks on her. Lauren was sleeping upstairs, Dagny was in her room, and nobody was trying to break into their home. The thought was almost disappointing to the Succubus, and she went back to her original plan to drink just enough to calm her nerves and get back to sleep before she had to get up in the morning.

 _What time is it anyways?_ She thought, and looked at the LED clock on the stove. Ten minutes to five o'clock in the morning, if she went to bed now she could get at least three more hours of sleep before she had to get up in order to get to her meeting on time. She sighed and drained her glass as she walked to the sink. She turned on the water and rinsed the empty glass, putting it into the dishwasher. And after it had audibly clicked shut she heard an answering click from the deadbolt on the door. Not sure if it were an echo, she stalked towards the door until she saw that it was unlocked – and now the knob was turning successfully open this time. But there was never any sound of keys entering the lock.

Bo lunged across the room, and in the dim light violently flung the intruder against the door they had just stepped through as she pulled chi from them with reckless abandon. It had a familiar taste – too familiar for the person to be a stranger. The blonde intruder's chi tasted wild and free, strong and confidante, yet sad. Light green eyes open in shock, blonde hair, and bright blue leather jacket it was classic Tamsin right down to her shoving the Succubus back forcefully back just as she stopped herself from pulling more chi. Bent over at the waist and looking at the ground as she tried to catch her breath, the Valkyrie paused to exclaim "What the HELL, Bo! Ambushed at the door TWICE in one night!"

"T-Tamsin? No, she…" Bo was confused; she thought she killed Tamsin – no she killed Lauren! No, that was a dream.

"AW, SHIT!" Dagny stood up all the way, still panting and turned on the living room lights. Her sister still had a hand up to her mouth in and eyes wide in confusion and shock. The young fae patted her cheek lightly. "Hey, hey…get it together!"

"Dagny – I'm fine! You just…surprised me!" Bo said, pushing her away as she sorted out reality from her recent dream that had became intertwined during the attack.

"Sorry about the doubt thing – sort of a reflex reaction when I get attacked. You pack quite a wallop!" She leaned her back against the wall, not yet in full control of her breathing and a little dizzy from the experience.

"Ditto! And, me too…I mean, sorry. I thought - …what where you doing sneaking back into the house at 5 in the morning?" Her sister asked, now well over the confusion in her mind.

"Bo – look at me!" she indicated her cut-off sweat shorts and unlaced work boots without socks. "Does it LOOK like I was sneaking off anywhere?" When the Succubus shook her head she explained further, "Listen, sorry about this. I just wanted to get my bag out of the truck, and I got all the way to my truck before I realized I forgot my keys. You must have gotten up and locked the door on me. I was going to knock, but I didn't hear anyone downstairs; and I didn't want to bother you guys, so I used these to get in." She bent down and picked up her lock picking tools she had dropped.

The Succubus realized the blonde must have been pressed against the door listening when she looked out of the peephole, both trying to find out if someone else was on the other side and both missing the opportunity to make their presence known. She smiled and shook her head.

"Lauren doesn't need-"

"Don't tell Lauren.."

They talked over each other at the same time and giggled softly, "Wellll, now that that's resolved – I should get ready to go. Lauren said it would be alright if I went to the Dal today, and I want to get an early start."

"Right! Of course!" Bo said, and watched her walk upstairs. She was still standing there, lost in her thoughts about her frightening dream and what it might mean when the Valkyrie walked back down, keys in hand. Dagny gave her a lop sided frown, but didn't offer any comment on what she thought about her sister watching her walk out the door.

The Succubus sighed and sat on the couch to wait for her. There was no way she was going back to sleep now and not much point in it anyways. At least she got a powerful snack, even though it was unintended and she felt horrible about it. True to her word, a few minutes later the Valkyrie returned with her duffel bag slung over one shoulder. She shut and locked the door behind her and headed for the stairs to her room, ignoring the woman watching her from the living room. "Dagny, wait a minute!" the brunette said as she stood up from the couch and walked over to her.

She paused and finally looked at her, "What is it, Bo?" Her tone was neutral, totally devoid of emotion even though her sister knew she must be irked by the brunette watching over her.

"I uhh…I thought you were tired. What are you doing up so early?" Bo asked, kicking herself mentally. This isn't what she wanted to talk about. She thought their shared levity early might have opened a window of opportunity to speak with her.

The blonde chewed on her lower lip for a few seconds, as if stopping herself from saying what she wanted to say before answering in an apologetic tone, "Yeah, I…well I just couldn't get to sleep, you know. You were right about that." _There is no way I am going to bring up the fact I could hear her and Lauren going at it half the night. Nope, not gonna go there._ She shrugged and turned away until Bo stopped her by grasping her arm.

"Wait! I wanted to tell you I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Stacey." She told her remorsefully.

Dagny sighed and turned to face her, she knew her sister would drag this out until she said whatever it was she wanted to get off her chest, and the sooner she did the sooner she could be on her way to the Dal. "Uh, Ok. Thanks, I guess." When her sister didn't release her arm or say anything further, she added, "Was there anything else?"

"Well…I just thought you might want to talk about how you feel about…what happened." Bo encouraged her gently.

"Why?" the Valkyrie asked incredulously with furrowed eyebrows. She felt it odd that her sister was suddenly eager to talk about Stacey after turning her in without telling her.

"Because that's what family and friends should do – talk about the important events in our lives and how we think and feel about them. It's important to me to know how you're feeling; we're family." The Succubus informed her with an expression she hoped would convey how important her sister was in her life.

Emotions flickered rapidly across Dagny's green eyes, but too quickly for the brunette to pick out a single one before they became cold and neutral, "Alright: I feel like it doesn't matter how I feel about it or you wouldn't have done it, and I think it doesn't matter what I think about it, since there's nothing I can DO about it. Talking about things that don't matter and things I can't change is a waste of time; especially when there is something I need to do right now that CAN influence future events."

"Don't be like that Dagny; that's not an answer! I know you thought she was your friend, but-" her sister pleaded before she was cut off.

"I don't have any friends, Bo. I just know some of yours." The Valkyrie stated, finally showing some emotion but only in the despair that was dripping from her words. And with that, she slipped out of her sister's grasp and walked up to her room.

Bo closed her eyes briefly before heading back to the couch and sitting down in defeat. _Lauren was right, I should have listened for clues she wanted to talk about it. And when I questioned Dagny outright, she shut down on me. And here I am, alone on the couch again, after all!_ The brunette huffed out a silent self-depreciating chuckle through her nose, but it was humorless. She got up and walked into the kitchen to start the coffee machine earlier than it was programmed for. Fixing her sister and Lauren a cup of coffee was something she _could_ do. Maybe the right way forward would be found by listening to both of them.

Dagny sat with her back leaned against the wall in a booth at the Dal, feet propped up on the bench and knees bent she read from one of the books Dyson had set aside for her. It was quiet in the bar; the breakfast customers of colony newcomers and trusted way station regulars had already left, and there weren't many customers coming in for lunch. It was a perfect spot to read for her; she didn't want to use the office to study as the shifter suggested. Somehow she didn't feel comfortable there even if she couldn't pinpoint the reason.

 _ **At the Dal…**_

"More coffee, luv?" Lilly had rolled up strategically when she shut the book in frustration and slammed it on the table with a huff. Her red hair loosely braided and wearing a simple cotton dress, she looked like a fresh-faced and innocent farm girl.

"No thanks. I think three is my limit." She informed the bar keep, then placed a hand on her forehead and rested her head on it. She hadn't found out anything definitive in the conflicting narratives of Dyson's selected tomes.

"But-you've only had two!" the diminutive ginger denied in a tone that was so self-effacing that the normally cool Valkyrie had to explain her statement, and apologize.

"Oh, I'm sorry – Bo made me a cup of coffee before I left home. That makes three." She sighed and looked at the ceiling.

"Well, can I get you anything else?" she asked with hopefully raised eyebrows.

"No - not unless you can tell me more about Valkyrie than I can find in these juvenile scribblings!" Dagny spat out more forcefully than she meant to. Dyson's niece had been nothing but kind to her ever since she met her. But her frustration with her sister and immanent Dawning brought out the worst of her nature.

Lilly wasn't upset by her tone, and her turquoise eyes twinkled as she told her customer, "Aye, I can dooo tha. But ye'll need a drink a'for." She slipped back into her accent she was embarrassed about and trying so hard to shed since coming to the 'new' world. It got the undivided attention of her customer.

Dagny stared at her, and agreed to have another coffee. But then she protested, for her companion's sake, "Don't you have to get ready for lunch?"

"Naw – it's endless wings day at that place by tha way w' the slutty lasses! And Devon can 'andle 'ooever comes in 'ere!" the tiny ginger gleefully informed her and hurried behind the bar near the booth to fetch the asked for drink.

They Valkyrie was confused as to why the server was in such a joyful mood, but shrugged it off as a need for attention she herself had no understanding of. When Lilly returned with a large ceramic stein overflowing with whipped cream, she began to question her agreement.

"THIS is coffee?" Dagny sat up.

"Irish Coffee!" Lilly saw the suspicious look, and interpreted it with pinpoint accuracy. "Yes, it has Irish Whiskey, and noooo, I won't tell yer sister. Sit back and listen!"

Dagny leaned back and stretched her legs out on the bench of the booth. She was skeptical, but willing to entertain any input. "Madam, the floor is yours!" she stated after sipped her beverage.

The server took a seat in the booth across the table from her and began her tale, "Right, so my da', 'e were a wolf shifter, right! But his ma, my gran, she were a Norn! She knew Valkyrie! And she raised me!"

"Wait, wait - I was told Norns were just evil bitches that tricked people and took shit from them that they didn't want to give!" the Valkyrie raised a hand in objection. She couldn't help herself since she thought the lesson was going already going sideways from everything she had been told by all her family.

Her companion's face turned dark red with embarrassment, and she got up to leave with both hands on the table and her accent under tight control, "Ok, I see…sorry, I didn't mean to pre-"

" **No**! No, no! **I'm** SORRY!" Dagny leaned up and shot her raised hand out and gripped one of the ginger's own. "PLEASE…please! Just…tell me. I'm listening." Her eyes reflected her earnestness, and just a hint of her desperation. Once the blonde saw that she had convinced the other woman, she released her quickly and relaxed back down, reminding herself to keep her flippant comments in check.

Lilly began by lacing her hands together and looking at them for a few seconds, and when she looked up she explained, "They t'weren't like tha, at the beginnin'. And the books yer reading; they was written about human mythology o' da fae. Ole tymes; everythin were passed doon in stories. An' righn' em doon in the time o' the Blood King; da' woood d'bin blasphemy. But, my gran , she tol' me lots a'stories." She saw that her companion was having trouble following her, so she cleared her throat, and did her best to relate her story in the common vernacular of the region she strived to emulate.

"So, a'fore the Blood King came to power, the Ancients ruled. And they were always fightn' for power, seein how they feed off of the adoration of their children – the fae. The fae fed off each other, ya see, but once the humans came about – from animals I 'spose, and the fae fed off them. Back then, the humans worshiped the fae; and the fae worshiped the Ancients. Where my gran was, she was a weaver of fates for the Celts. The human druids offered their own people as sacrifice to the fae, and we all lived in harmony. Then the Norse came – human and fae – and with them came the Valkyrie. Gran said they were winged creatures both beautiful and hideous to look at; fierce in battle with shining armor and sharp swords but tender with the dead and dying from both sides. A truce was made; and the Celts lived in harmony with the invaders. But then the Romans came, and the Ancients they worshiped were the powerful Greeks – Zeus, Hera, Hades, Ares…and with their help they took control of our land. The Valkyrie might have been able to vanquish them before they conquered; exceptin' the Romans brought the legendry Amazon women with them to keep them tied up during the battles. But our ways survived, in the highlands and wild places."

Dagny listened carefully, with her hands clasped around her knees. She wanted to interrupt and ask questions, but she kept her impatience in check and let the woman get to her point in her own time. _No point in hurrying her along – there isn't much in these books Dyson gave me except human mythology I can find at any library and fae elders' conjecture about it years after the fact. And true or not, she does have new insights from a person old enough to have been around._ She thought, as the reason for the bar employee's pause became clear once she focused on why the ginger turned her head. Vex had entered the Dal and was walking purposefully to their table with a scrawny man in a grey suit and sneakers scuttled along behind him, trying desperately to keep up and regain the Mesmer's attention to papers that were escaping from their folder in his haste.

"Well, well, well…if it isn't our blonde sleeping beauty magically awoken from her slumber – a word, please." He stared at Lilly meaningfully until interrupted by Balzac shoving paper and pen at him and insisting on a signature. He shifted his gaze to the Spriggen in annoyance, "Tsss, tssss…not NOW Boll Sack!" he hissed and waved his business associate away. "Go get yourself a cocktail, on me! And you, bar wench! Whut's your name? Pippi Longstocking – why don't you make yourself useful and go fix it for him!" He snapped his fingers in the red-heads face arrogantly.

"Rude much! Why don't you go f-" the Valkyrie objected, slapping a hand on the table to push herself up and face the Mesmer. But a gentle pat on her hand stopped her.

"S'all right. It **is** my job after all!" the bar maid assured her, and hurried away with a smile, the Spriggen followed gratefully after giving the Valkyrie an awkward wave of greeting with his hands still clutching his papers and folder. Whatever had suddenly and inexplicably pissed off the Mesmer – he didn't want any part of it.

Dagny sat back down, and glared at the Mesmer. Once the others were out of earshot he leaned down and hissed at her in a whisper, "What the bloody hell do you think you are doing?"

The blonde was taken aback, and gestured at the books on the table between them in the booth, "Studying – or REVISING – if it suits your British sensibilities better. And Dyson, Lauren, AND Bo all know I am here doing just that. Problem?" she responded with a self-satisfied smirk.

"YES! Problem! A big, lumbering, easily jealous rampaging murdering bitch of a problem that could walk through the door with her coven of like minded slags at any moment and see you getting cozy with her girlfriend kind of problem!" Vex leaned across the table, driving his point home.

But his concern was lost on the young fae, "Vex, we're just TALKING. I have no interest in jumping into bed with her girlfriend, and I haven't even said or done anything that could even remotely be interpreted as flirtatious."

"None of that matters, don't you _**see**_! She belongs to Nyla, an Amazon. You are a Valkyrie, her arch nemesis, talking alone to her girl!" Vex loosened the narrow black tie and opened the jacked of his simple black suit, shirking his authoritative appearance and adopting the trappings of a concerned friend. He collapsed in the bench seat across from the young fae with a sigh.

"She was helping me, telling me what her grandmother told her about the fae and the Valkyrie. That's all. And _she_ wasn't hitting on _me,_ either." Dagny stated flatly.

"Oh yeah, did she tell you how her gran thought Trick was the influence for the Leprechaun King in the _Darby O'Gill_ stories? Hmmm, no. Wouldn't put too much stock in what she has to say, especially since that minx has her own agenda. **She** was giving you heart eyes – even if you are too dense to notice it through your ice cold Nordic emotional armor!" the Mesmer mockingly laid his cards on the table.

Dagny had heard enough of his warnings, and leaning back shook her head and chuckled throatily before coldly refuting him with an icy stare, "Please – do you think I'm gullible enough to believe someone is in love with me! No one loves the Valkyrie; you said it yourself – we are ice cold bitches! And I don't give a shit what her trained ape of a girlfriend imagines is going on – I haven't done anything wrong! And right now, I'd like to hear what she has to say."

"You don't have to be heartless, though! You can be whoever you want to become; and you can find someone who loves you – just not her!" the Mesmer reached out and touched her hand.

"Uh, sure, Vex. Just tell me one person you've even _heard_ of in your long life and many travels that was in love with a Valkyrie." she frowned, perturbed that he was picking up and running with the least important thing in the conversation, from her point of view. _But, if it's love you want to discuss, honey, choke on that one!_

"Well…" he leaned back in the booth and huffed out an open mouthed but soundless guffaw. She got him there, and he knew she knew it. "…I mean – I didn't really meet a lot of Valkyrie…and…" he gave up with a helpless look and a shrug.

"Don't feel bad, no one else has heard of one either. Now - go away, Vex! Your little pet is going to end up as a throw rug for Dyson's office if you don't go rescue him." She nodded towards the bar, where the Spriggen had unwisely gulped downed half a faintly smoking cocktail in a hurricane glass with an umbrella and was holding on to the edge of the bar for support. "Bright side – he'd be one HELL of a conversation piece!"

Lilly's tinkling laughter from behind the bar reached their booth as he got up to save his partner from the dubious clutches of the mischievous Nymph and the suspicious looking concoction she had made for him. Dagny heard him mumble "Vindictive ginger bitch…." under his breath as he nearly broke into a run to save the man from intoxicating himself any more than he already was.


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Thanks for reading/reviewing. After some reflection, I think I may have to change the rating of the story to 'M' with the next chapter. So, unless I get some serious feedback against this, it'll be M with the next chapter.**

Dawning of a Valkyrie

Chapter 22: Meeting and Diplomacy

Bo squirmed and shifted in her chair as she tried to surreptitiously to adjust her trousers by tugging at them, and then glanced quickly at the man next to her. Just as she feared, her actions had not escaped the notice of the Ash Apparent and he narrowed his eyes in disapproval at her obvious display of boredom, and discomfort. The meeting of the Inter-Clan Council was every bit as monotonous as she thought it would be, only multiplied a thousand fold. She was also regretting her choice of attire, and begrudgingly acknowledged to herself Dyson was right to question it. _Gods, why did I wear leather pants knowing I'd probably be sitting on my ass sweating in them for hours! And to make matters worse –_

She looked down the long table and groaned internally as she saw the Morrigan grinning at her, seemingly cool and comfortable in her smart linen business skirt and white cotton blouse. She winked, and turned her attention back to the person who currently held the floor – a Light fae Selkie who was arguing endlessly that all the areas adjacent to the waterways should be under Light fae jurisdiction for obviously self-serving reasons. While Dyson listened patiently and Evony in eager anticipation of giving her scathing retort, Bo was already over the ridiculous argument and trying hard not to interrupt and shut it down prematurely if only to move the meeting along to other business. She was waiting for any of the Unaligned to speak, curious as to what they had to say and what they stood for other than not choosing Light or Dark but not interested in speaking to the group just yet.

Once the Selkie had rested her case and sat down, Evony quipped that leaving her 'wet suit' carelessly by a river in Dark fae territory to go bar hopping for the night was not a valid reason for re-drawing political boundaries. But the meeting exploded in an uproar when she added, "I mean, I know the price has sky-rocketed, but just out –bid everyone else on E-Fae, and you can get it back!" The balding, bookishly shy Dark fae whose turn it was to chair the meeting failed miserably to regain order as everyone easily shouted over him.

The Succubus was holding her head, elbows on the table, regretting agreeing to go to the meeting in the first place. But she really couldn't complain about what was happening on the streets of the colony if she didn't go out and make an effort to see what was happening politically first hand. She stood and slapped her hands on the table " **Will you all just SHUT UP already!** " That got everyone's attention, and once all conversation stopped and all eyes were on her, she froze for a second. The exclamation was more of a reflex than a plan of action, but the brunette was accustomed to thinking on her feet. "Right, let's settle this: No, we will not redraw the political boundaries so Selkies can be careless with their skins. And yes, we can help you get yours back. Evony, is there something we can offer you in exchange for the return of her pelt?"

"Why the hell do you even care about this…oh ho ho – wait! By coincidence there is something you can offer me! I will ensure she gets her fur back, if you stay out of my way the next time I offer a business proposition to another fae in your presence, and butt out of it." Her eyes glistened with an evil glee that made Bo immediately suspicious, and even more so when she added the caveat, "And I'm going to want a Blood Oath on this deal!"

Bo chewed her lower lip thoughtfully, as the hapless Selkie looked to her with pleading eyes. She turned her own eyes to the Morrigan, "Let's be clear – all I have to do is not say anything for or against your 'business' proposition to another fae?"

"I know it is A LOT to expect of you, keeping your mouth shut – but yes. That is all I'm asking. On my Blood Oath."

"Done! You have my Blood Oath!" Bo regretted her decision the moment the words left her lips.

 _ **At the Dal…**_

Dagny sipped her Irish coffee and watched the drama unfold at the bar. Vex was chastising the ginger Nymph as he struggled to keep Balzac on his feet. Lilly appeared nothing but meek and contrite, and enlisted the pimply faced young and gangly Devon to help the Mesmer walk the Spriggen down to Dyson's office to recover so that they could conclude their business. In the mean time, she dutifully attended the few customers of the way station until the greasy brown haired young man returned to take over.

The Valkyrie's eyes followed her until she returned to her seat across from the blonde fae. She was looking for any sign that the Nymph harbored any sort of romantic or sexual desires for her. Not finding any, she felt relieved until doubt crept into her thoughts reminding her of her own extremely limited experience in this subject. And then there was the tragic cautionary tale of her mother and Bo she didn't want to think about right now and so started talking as if her conversation with Vex hadn't happened at all. "You were saying, the Romans invaded with the support of their Ancients fae and the Amazon warriors…" Dagny prompted with eyes wide in anticipation.

"Right! They ruled most of our lands for centuries, until their human emperor adopted a human religion. The Ancients lost the fear and adoration they fed off of, and their power faded. Human and fae monarchs were seen as divine rulers. Somehow, the Ancients vanished completely from the world. We gained control of our own countries and all lived together for a tyme, humans and fae." She smiled wistfully.

"Let me guess – the Blood King seized power and ruined everybody's fun with his Una Mens and ridiculous laws?" the Valkyrie asked, wondering how Bo could be so fond of her grandfather while at the same time horrified of the apparent reign of terror he orchestrated.

"Well…not quite. The fae were all one people, then – no Light nor Dark. The Blood King wrote himself into power at a time when humans and fae alike were constantly at war. With the Ancients gone, some of the new human religions branded the belief in fae as blasphemy, and some zealots believed in them anyway but saw them as demons. The fae killed humans, humans killed fae and it was chaos. But then, the humans suffered a terrible plague, and the fae were afraid they would die off completely. The Blood Sage wrote the plague away, and degreed that the fae shall not kill humans if at all possible when feeding off'n them, and that the fae should hide their existence. Some o' the fae objected to the killing humans part, some objected to the division of the fae – and the Blood Wars began. And so it was every time he opened his veins to write the world's fate – it had an unforeseen negative side effect, because even a Blood Sage can't change how people feel. The fates and the Norns were forbidden to choose the destiny of mortals, and some of them spent their lives trading with humans and fae for petty changes in their lives."

"Did the Valkyrie fight in the Blood Wars?" Dagny asked, on the verge of sounding timid as she gently tired to steer the conversation back on topic. Not that the history wasn't fascinating to her.

"Sorta, but they never fought as a group after Wotan, or Odin, disappeared from Valhalla. Some of the Valkyrie rejected Freya's rule or were banished by her and spent their lives on Earth with the mortals. The Valkyrie became viewed as nothing more than battlefield scavengers, carrion feeders and corpse thieves. They choose handsome or charming specimens from the dead with no regard to how honorable they fought or lifting a finger to help either side in battle. In the past, they worked with the Norns to decide who lives or dies, fighting alongside the mortals and then choosing the righteous from the fallen to take to Valhalla." Lilly frowned as she related this part.

"I see" She tapped the table nervously with an index finger, staring off in thought as her companion watched her eagerly. "My mother, Tamsin, was there with the Blood King. But I don't know if she was fighting for either side or choosing souls to take to Freya."

"Sorry, luv, but I can't help you there. I don't know, either." She sighed regretfully. "Gran didn't like talking about things that happened after the Blood Laws. But I know fer myself after the Blood King's wife was murdered, and he turned his own daughter over to the Dark Fae when she took vengeance. Twern' enough to keep the peace and wasn't enough to convince the fae he could rule both sides. And so they chose their own rulers with their own rules and the Una Mens were created to enforce the universal Blood laws. But the Blood King never joined them, and he did a runner, ending up here, at the Dal Riata in the New World."

"What a _**lovely**_ story! Does it have a happy ending?" The pair in the booth looked up in surprise to find Nyla standing just within earshot at the end of the table, mockingly slow clapping as she stalking menacingly closer.

"N-Nyla! What a pleasant surprise! I thought you were working today!" the Nymph regarded her girlfriend still dressed in her security guard uniform with confusion.

"I got fired…again. So, how about getting me a drink? Bourbon, make it a double and bring the bottle. Or did you get fired, too? There's no one behind the bar!" she snarled, not looking into the vibrant blue-green eyes of her girlfriend but staring directly at the Valkyrie who answered her gaze, making no verbal contribution to their discourse.

"But Devon…" she looked around the room, nearly devoid of customers and could not see the young barman. "…I suppose he had to answer the call of nature!" Lilly giggled nervously and got up to get the disconsolate Amazon a drink. She got on her tip-toes to peck the tall, muscular woman on the cheek before hurrying off.

Dagny finished her own drink, taking stock of the formidable woman slowly taking a seat across from her. Her light blue security guard uniform accentuated her air of authority as if her large stature and large muscles couldn't do the job on their own. The Amazon's dark brown hair was cut in a mullet style, which seemed comical to the Valkyrie even if most people who met the lumbering mass of a perpetually angry warrior fae would be too intimidated to notice. The piercing watery blue eyes never left her own, but neither seemed in any hurry to move their assessment of each other into the verbal arena. The blonde was ready to get up and leave, having heard everything her erstwhile companion had to offer, but couldn't bring herself to break away from the obvious wordless challenge the other woman was offering her.

The ginger barmaid returned with a whiskey tumbler and a vintage single-barrel bottle of bourbon and set them carefully in front of the Amazon. "Our finest Kentucky whiskey, my luv. On me, o'course." She smiled shyly, and looked between the pair noticing the tension that weighed heavily in the air. Even Devon, who was nowhere to be found, could see it coming and had secreted himself away to stay well out of the threatening storm.

"I asked for Scotch. What the hell is wrong with you? Are you deaf, or just too scatter-brained to remember? And I can pay for my own drinks!" She finally broke eye contact with her ancestral nemesis to concentrate on berating the petite bar maid with whom she was allegedly romantically involved.

It was a lie, but also so much more. The Amazon was putting on a display, marking her territory, punishing her girlfriend, re-establishing her dominance in their relationship and something Dagny couldn't ignore – it was a test of her own moral character and a challenge to her Valkyrie mettle. As Lilly offered an apology for her mistake, Dagny finally spoke up, " **No** , you didn't. You asked for bourbon, and that is what she brought you."

Nyla turned to the blonde with an exaggeratedly slow motion, blue eyes burning with hatred. "So, the first time you speak to me it is to call me a **liar**!" Lilly was hovering over her girlfriend, muttering to her as she spoke and trying in vain to calm her down.

"No, I didn't. But you _did_ ask for bourbon, and in all the stress you are under, perhaps you forgot. If you changed your mind, I'll take the bottle, please put it on my tab, Lilly. And bring Nyla a bottle of scotch – or whatever she wants, on me. It **is** scotch, right? Here…" she tore off a blank piece of paper from the notepad she was using and slid it and a pencil over to the Amazon. "…write it down this time. Then we won't have any more unpleasant…misunderstandings." She did her best to defuse the situation without backing down, and it seemed to have worked, at least for the moment. The Amazon eyed her carefully for a moment, then grunted and jotted something down before tossing the pencil back to the Valkyrie. She raised her eyebrows expectantly at Dagny, who picked up the cue immediately. The Amazon had given a concession and now it was her turn to reciprocate. "Well, I guess you two want your privacy. I'll go look for Devon. Dyson won't be happy if he's sleeping on the job again."

She gathered up her books and bottle and headed downstairs, struggling to open the door with her hands full. She caught a glimpse of the terrified Devon peeking out of the keg room and winked at him with a smile, gesturing with her head that all was well and he could come out now. It would be lunchtime soon, and she didn't want the timid young man to get fired.

 _ **After the Meeting…**_

"I can't believe I was the only Unaligned fae to speak! And is it _always_ this boring?" Bo whined to Dyson as they walked out of the meeting room.

"Actually, today was quite exciting – a shouting match, a brand new speaker taking control from the chairman, _and_ an exchange of Blood Oaths." The wolf said with a smile, managing somehow to be both sarcastic and earnest in the same beat.

"Ohhhhh, don't remind me!" she groaned, her mood morose until she heard the airy laughter of the Morrigan as she shared a joke with a college as they walked through the conference room behind them. "On second thought, thanks for that!" she grinned and stopped to wait for Evony to catch up. "I'll meet you downstairs!"

"Bo, it's soooo good to see you taking an active role in the business of running the colony!" Evony drawled and reached out to daintily shake one of Bo's hands. "And don't worry about your aquatic mammal friend; I assure you the man who found her pelt will return it within 24 hours."

"I-uh…thank you? But…if you don't mind….I wanted to ask you about something else." The Succubus stammered out. She wasn't used to the ritual of diplomacy, and felt the uncertainty and hesitation that rides along when you venture outside your comfort zone and have to be cordial to someone you despise.

"Certainly! We're all friends here! What is it?" but despite her assurance the Morrigan dismissed her courtier with a gesture of her head.

"Right!" Bo took a deep breath once they were alone in the anteroom and started, "I hate to bring this up, but I wanted to ask you, myself, what is going to happen to Stacey?"

"Stacey?" she laughed lightly, "Didn't your wife tell you? She is following orders from Valhalla now! I can't tell you what Acacia has planned for her – you aren't the only person to seal a deal with a Blood Oath."

"I see…but isn't there any way Dagny can talk to her? It's important to her, since her Dawning is only a day away." The Succubus swallowed her pride, and asked a favor on behalf of her sister whose words to her, though not sharpened by anger, had still cut her to the core.

Evony pursed her lips and mock pouted, "No, I'm sorry. It's part of the deal that she has no visitors." She began to turn away, but changed her mind and added, "But, that doesn't mean you can't talk to Acacia. She's the one who set the terms, and I know she has Tamsin's young whelp's best interests at heart. She was actually surprised you haven't visited her before now. Actually, no not surprised…more like – disappointed. Tamsin was always her favorite; she wants to see the rug rat."

"If she wanted to talk me and Dagny so badly, why didn't she come and ask ME?"

"I see you haven't lost your hubris after all the…difficulty you've had in the past. Acacia is a Valkyrie – the Mistress of Valhalla! She is far too proud and too busy to chase down a private detective and beg to see the daughter of her protégé. No matter, all Valkyrie find their own way home, eventually. Unless they devolve into a slobbering feathered underfae first. Still, no time like the present. I'm sure you and your entourage will find a way to hobo yourselves to Valhalla. You've done it before."

"Acacia…" conflicting thoughts ran through the Succubus' mind – first and foremost was how the secrecy and deviousness of the Mistress of Valhalla hadn't changed even though the person who held the title had. "…alright. Thank you." She frowned as she choked out her thanks. The condescending attitude of the Morrigan had always got under her skin.

"There! That's done! See, you _can_ settle things with civility instead of bullying everyone with your Sexy Succubus powers! I look forward to seeing you at the next meeting. Love-loves!" the Morrigan leaned forward and kissed her formally on both cheeks before departing and leaving the dumb-struck Succubus standing alone in her musings. Once she heard the elevator ding closed, she decided on a course of action and took the stairs. _SHIT! I forgot to find out if she was fae or human!_

 _ **At the Dal…**_

"Thank the gods, Tamsin 2.0! I was starting to think that bloody Nymph tangled you up in the web of drama that surrounds her wherever she goes, ensnaring all and sundry!" Vex greeted the Valkyrie in his own particular idiom, with wild gestures and hyperbole.

"No, she didn't. But tall, dark, and stupid did show up, showing her ass as always. I don't want to be a cast member of that shit show, and I need something down here, anyways. Have you seen Trick's Blood Book?" Dagny asked, dropping her burdens on a desk. Noticing the Mesmer's companion sitting on the couch staring blearily off into space she added, scrunching her face "What's with him?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing at all my sweet - just a little witches' brew your girlfriend slipped him 'accidentally' containing troll liqueur. His mind will be in the clouds for the better part of the afternoon, and we have to get this paperwork signed, witnessed notarized and registered at the province court before they close!" Vex clasped his forehead and paced to and fro across the small office.

"She's not my girlfriend, Vex. I barely even know her!" Dagny rolled her eyes and took her bottle to the couch. She calmly regarded the stoned Spriggen and took a sip of the smooth whiskey before asking her initial question again, "So, where's Trick's Blood Book? I know Dyson keeps it down here; I've seen him looking at it down here with Bo."

"Not NOW! I don't think Dyson would be happy if I give it you – ask him for it! I have my own problems…" He stopped his aimless walk about and stood next to her as he regarded the mumbling Balzac with concern. He finally noticed the bottle of bourbon in her hand and snatched it from her, taking a swig from it.

"Ha! You're _welcome!"_ she glared at him for a few seconds, then knelt down in front of the couch and studied the Spriggen carefully. She could feel the fear and turmoil in his mind, ostentatiously caused by drinking a mind altering substance not suitable for someone of his delicate constitution. And doubt, his doubting of reality and submission to an alternated state of consciousness was clearly palpable to her. "Maybe I can help you, and then you can help me. I'm going to try something…" she muttered as she gently grasped both sides of the troubled fae's head to look into the glazed eyes beneath his drooping eyelids.

"What!? Wait…wh-what are you _doing?_ " He gripped one of the Valkyrie's shoulders once he saw the shadows engulf her eye sockets. But she ignored his protests, and intensified her facial transformation as soon as she saw visible progress in her efforts by the way the Spriggen's eyes opened fully and blinked, now able to focus. She released him, and her face returned to normal as soon as he sat up fully and began breathing heavily. He looked around the room as if he didn't know where he was or how he got there.

"Vex! What happened? And who is this young Valkyrie? I feel like I've seen you before…" Balzac narrowed his eyes as he struggled to match a name with the vaguely familiar face.

Dagny laughed briefly, and shook her head slightly. "We've never formally met. But we did see each other upstairs a few minutes ago." She explained kindly, then leaned back on her heals and turned her attention to the gob-stopped Mesmer. "Show me where it is, and get him to where he needs to be in case this wears off before the effects of the troll liqueur." Her tone was much harsher and demanding when she spoke to Vex, whom she blamed for the current state of his associate.

"But…how…you-" he stuttered out. Everything he knew of the Valkyrie power of doubt told him it had a confusing effect instead of a calming one on its victim.

"I made him doubt his belief in the fantasy world his intoxicated mind was creating. It's kinda hard to explain, and I don't know how long it will last…Where is it?" She asked once again as she stood to look him in the eyes with arms folded across her chest. When he didn't answer, she added with raised eyebrows, "Tick Tock, Vex."

"Fine! There!" he huffed and pointed at Trick's ornate antique roll top desk. He pulled Balzac to his feet with one hand and thrust the bottle of whiskey at her with the other. The Mesmer tried to physically usher the Spriggen up the stairs, but he resisted.

"No, I think we met years ago…I'm pretty sure of it! And now I owe you!" He thrust a hand out to shake her hand, which Vex promptly slapped back down.

"Don't you **dare**!" the Mesmer threatened and began physically pulling him along. _The only thing worse that owing a Spriggen is a Spriggen owing_ _ **you**_ _!_ he thought bitterly

A sanguine smile spread across Dagny's face at Balzac's efforts, and she helped her friend by effectively dismissing the Spriggen, "No, Vex owes me. And I think you're mistaking me for someone else." She set down the bottle and handed him the files that were stacked on the desk that Vex had forgotten about in his haste.

Once they had gotten to the top of the stairs and opened the door, Vex called down a parting shot, "Oh, I forgot to tell you luv – the desk is locked and only Dyson has the key!"

"No problemo…" the Valkyrie muttered as she took out her lock picking kit with a silent thanks to Kenzi.

 _ **Lauren's Clinic…**_

Bo greeted the friendly receptionist, Carol with her usual warmth and with a deep sense of gratitude that human was back at work. They exchanged pleasantries briefly, before she excused herself to meet Lauren in her private lab. Carol had explained the doctor was heavily involved in research today and had left her usual rounds and appointments to another doctor. The Succubus had a pretty good idea just what that research was about, and made her way quietly to surprise her. It was lunchtime, and she felt sure Dr. Lewis would forgo eating since she was too engrossed in her work, as usual. But today, they were going to go out to eat together. The Succubus had a surprise for her.

The second the blonde doctor lifted her head away from the microscope, Bo wrapped her arms around her waist and pulled her close, face buried into her shoulder-length hair. She felt her wife tense up in surprise at the embrace, then relax as she breathed in heavily, "Hey there sexy! I don't normally like the smell of a doctor's office, but you wear it well!"

Lauren hung her head and laughed quietly, she hadn't expected Bo to visit her since her wife had told her she would be in a meeting all morning followed by screening potential clients at the Dal the rest of the day. "Might I ask, to what do I owe this serendipitous visit?" she hummed out and wrapped her own arm's over Bo's on her midsection as the Succubus gently rocked them from side to side.

"I cleared my schedule, and I have a surprise for you. You'll like it, I promise!" she couldn't help but smile against the soft blonde hair.

"Really, a surprise for me? I wonder what it is and what I could have possibly have done to deserve it…" she played along, thinking her wife was proposing a little 'afternoon delight.'

The brunette kissed the side of her neck and then rested her chin on a shoulder, "Oh, I don't know…maybe I'm trying to atone for making you angry with me." She said longingly.

Dr. Lewis pulled her wife's arms back enough to turn her body to face the Succubus and kiss her softly. She hugged her and whispered into the dark hair in a shaking voice, "There's no need, I think you did an excellent job of doing that last night."

The trembling in the doctor's voice was echoed physically by her own body, and it ignited the Succubus' smoldering desires into an inferno. She pulled away just far enough to kiss her doctor with more passion, grabbing both sides of her wife's head moving them both forward until she had the blonde pinned against the desk behind her.

When their tongues met and Lauren moaned, pulling her even closer, Bo regained control of her inner Succubus and broke the kiss. She moved her hands to grip the desktop and panted for a few seconds; this is not how she had planned to spend her afternoon and it could wait until tonight. She grinned with her glowing blue eyes at the confused face of her wife and explained, "Well, if that's the case - maybe you can credit my account in case I screw up again in the future. After lunch, how would you like to go to Valhalla?"

"Valhalla? But…why, Bo? Is something wrong with Dagny?" Lauren brushed the hair out of her face as she searched her wife's expression for signs of distress.

Bo didn't expect this type of reaction and hoped her wife would be overjoyed at the chance to put her questions to the Mistress of Valhalla. She was the oldest and most powerful Valkyrie and might be able to give them the answers they needed. "What? No, no! She's fine! I texted her and Vex, and he said she's right as rain and.." she cleared her throat to mimic his cockney accent, "'quite the lit'el scheming trollop.' I'm not sure what he meant by that last part, but he also sent another text to ask that I not tell her he said that!" She wrapped her arms around her wife's waist again, "Dyson will be at the Dal soon, anyways and we're going to meet him there. I need to find out what Acacia is up to, and I thought you might want to talk with her about Stacey. I know how important it is to you – to us!" She related her meeting with the Morrigan, and what the woman had told her.

"As long as you think it's safe, Bo. And for what it's worth, I don't think Acacia would hurt Dagny." She pecked the Succubus on the lips before adding gleefully, "This is a great surprise, and I'm sure Dagny will be over the moon with excitement about seeing Valhalla!" Her brown eyes sparkled with her own excitement and anticipation that would squashed with the Succubus' next statement.

"No, Lauren, Dagny isn't coming with us! I'm not sure it's safe for her yet, at least not until I find out why Acacia is making deals with Evony!"


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: Wanted to get this chapter out as story arcs will start colliding with this one. I'll update again soon. Coming soon Dagny's strengths and weaknesses are exposed, Lauren finds out both less and more than she bargains for, Bo flexes her political clout, and Dyson and Vex help Bo and Lauren's research for their own reasons. Valhalla awaits, Acacia lays down the law and we get a peek at how Stacey is faring. A lot happens in one evening and it will span the next few chapters so here is the set up that takes place in the afternoon.**

 **Trigger Warning: There is mention of domestic abuse, but not the description of the act. (And no, not Bo and Lauren. Let's be real. ; )**

Dawning of a Valkyrie

Chapter 23: Drunk History, Sobering Present

"Dagny…?" Dyson called out as he clomped down the stairs that led to his office. When he received no answer, he hurried down noisily in a panic and looked around the room. What he saw made him chuckle – the Valkyrie was sound asleep on the couch clutching a book to her chest and sporadically mumbling softly in another language as she dreamt. This was going to be easier than he imagined he mused to himself as he open the vault door to retrieve an object from the secure room. The door creaked as he shut it, and he froze and listened for the tale-tell signs the sleeping blonde was waking, but all he heard was faint snoring. The shifter crept back up the stairs carefully, smiling at his avoidance of a potentially awkward situation as he walked up to the Succubus waiting anxiously by the end of the bar.

"Here it is: the lock of Tamsin's hair Zeus brought Trick when she came to take back the Aegis Shield. This and your Helskor should get you both to Valhalla." Dyson presented the Succubus the Ziploc bag containing a significant amount of the Valkyrie's hair. Bo's eyes brightened as she reached for it, but just before her fingers touched it, he pulled it back. The Succubus gave him a scathing look, but waited silently for an explanation. The shifter looked deeply into her angry eyes and informed her, "I am standing by what I said before - this is a bad idea. And if you are going anyways, you should take your sister. She is one of them; I doubt they will hurt her given how much Acacia cared for her mother. Do not ask me to lie to her to cover this up, Bo. I won't do it."

The Succubus gave him a tight lipped smile of victory as she snatched the bag away from him. "Thanks, anyways. It's important, Dyson, for me and Lauren – and my sister. We may be able to get information to help her with her Dawning, but we don't know if this is some kind of elaborate trap of Evony and Acacia's to get their hands on Dagny for Hades. Or, just the opposite - they may see her as an abomination, because of her father. It's better this way."

He shrugged and folded his arms, "It's your call, Bo. Tell Lauren to hang on to that hair this time – you never know when you might need it again. But you better go now if you're going. Dagny's asleep now, and there's no telling when she will wake up. But I do know this, if you don't get Lauren away from Lilly soon, she might just change her mind and stay here."

"What?" the Succubus gasped with confusion, and she turned to look where his gaze was leading her. Behind her, at the other end of the bar, Lauren was reaching across to grasp the ginger bar maid's chin and examine her face critically. Bo could see a red mark blossoming into a bruise on the pretty face of the Nymph. "Shhiiittt!" she hissed and went down to join them.

"I'm **fine** Dr. Lewis! Please! Don't fuss o'er me so…I shoulda asked Devon to get the keg down! 'Tis nothing to be concerned about!" the red-head was doing her best to explain the injury to her face that even the Succubus knew was caused by a fist and not a falling wooden keg.

" **She** did this to you, didn't she?" Bo spat out, ignoring Lauren's raised hand in silent request to remain calm; the Succubus had the delicate touch of a bull in a china shop when she was riled up. The injustice of the strong preying on the weak always sent her mind to dark places and there was no telling what she might do to the guilty party.

Lilly pulled away and backed herself against the counter behind the bar, "No, o'course not! Why would she do something like that? 'Twer an accident!"

Lauren rolled her eyes in frustration as Bo insisted, " _Where_ is she? Hmmm? I can make you tell me the truth, you know…" But Dyson had followed her and laid a hand on her arm to stop her.

"Bo, leave this to me. I will put a stop to this. I let you handle your family's problems your way – please extend me the same courtesy." His eyebrows were furrowed with sadness and concern, and although she was reluctant to let this go, Bo capitulated angrily by shaking off his arm and taking a step back. He had a point, even though she felt sick to her stomach for walking away. If she hadn't had such urgent business, there would definitely be a fight between the former lovers in the Dal this afternoon, and possibly one dead Amazon.

"Alright. We'll talk about this later." She stared at him accusingly as she pulled on Lauren's jacket to encourage her to leave with her; they would eat lunch somewhere else. This was not how she expected their joyful adventure to begin.

Dyson looked imploringly at his blood kin behind the bar, but she simply shook her head and looked away. He made his way back downstairs, pulling his hair back and sighing. His distant cousin had earlier given him the same song and dance she put on for the doctor and the Succubus. It was a variation of the same story she gave everyone anytime she showed up for work with a strange bruise or other injury. He had talked with and threatened the warrior fae, to no avail since she denied everything and told the same tale her girlfriend had. He couldn't ban her from a place of sanctuary without proof of her assault. He couldn't just beat her to a pulp, as he very much wanted to, as the acting Ash, and Mark had already tried arresting Nyla and convincing Lilly to press charges. The shifter was Light fae, and the Amazon Dark – and he thought it might be time to talk to Evony and ask her to intervene as the Morrigan to put an end to the apparent abuse. There was already too much violence and chaos in the colony; they were all working hard to establish law and order.

And now, his own future plans with the Succubus were evaporating into a cloud of improbability when it seemed likely that Bo and Lauren would be able to have a fae child together. And although none of them had mentioned it, the implication that Lauren might somehow make herself fae out of all this new information also weighed heavily on his heart.

Dagny was still slumped on the couch asleep when he entered his office with a sandwich for his unconscious guest. He set the plate down, and gingerly took the book from her hands, before hefting the Valkyrie's legs on the couch so that the blonde was now laid down in what he hoped would be a more comfortable position. He noticed she was wearing her heavy work boots and snorted out a laugh a mirthless laugh. _She's even more of a Tomboy than her mother…_ Lifting her legs again, he sat down and placed her feet on his lap so that he could untie the laces and remove the oil-stained boots.

Apparently, messing with her feet was something that the slumbering Valkyrie couldn't tolerate. She kicked out violently and woke up with a start. "Dyson! What are you doing here?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" he asked in his deep tenor voice.

"Shit! Sorry, just doing some research. I must have fallen asleep." She explained with a frown as she sat up and spotted the sandwich on the end table. She shot him a questioning look, and he nodded in answer. Dagny wasted no time tearing into it with relish.

The shifter took his time and eased into a conversation with her; he had a lot of experience in dealing with young fae thanks to the arrival of his son, Mark. He leaned over and picked up the book she was 'reading.' "Trick's Blood Book. Interesting read?" he asked, flipping through the blank pages.

"You ha no idaaa…" the Valkyrie managed to get out with her mouth full of food. She grinned knowingly at him, pieces of bread sticking to her teeth.

Dyson chuckled, "I'm betting Kenzi told you all about her and your mother and Trick's book, didn't she?"

"Hmmm, maybeeeee…." Dagny shrugged with a questioning rise in inflection. She had indeed induced the book to reveal its secrets.

The wolf dropped the book on the couch between them, "Well, I think you are as ballsy as Tamsin, as mischievous as Kenzi and determined as Bo; and that is a dangerous combination! So, let's drop the pretense and get down to it – do you have any questions for me?" He already took it for granted that she had revelations as to what the Blood King had written as Tamsin had when she held the book, though not the memory of those events as her mother did.

"Yes…." She swallowed down the food she was chewing and grabbed the whiskey bottle to take a sip. Afterwards, he took it from her with a disapproving look at the label. It was potent – and expensive. "…and I'm going to work to pay for that!" she added quickly as her facial expression fell shamefully.

"How? I already have all the servers I need!" he informed her with a stern look.

"I don't know…maybe…you could use a bouncer?" she asked hopefully.

"Or a janitor." He groused. "We'll figure it out. Go on – ask your question." Dyson lifted the bottle to his lips and drank heartily from it. It had been one hell of a day, and he didn't want to discuss what the Valkyrie's sister was up to right now or his problems with the Amazon lover of his cousin. Or the possibility that Bo was lost to him forever.

She scowled at the thought of cleaning bathrooms and mopping up vomit for months to pay for a bottle she barely got to drink from, and her mood fell further when she remembered she agreed to pay for the Nyla's as well. "Right, what's the deal with this 'Rainer' guy?"

 _ **Driving to Valhalla's Gates…**_

The drive to the seedy part of the city was tense and silent, both Bo and Lauren didn't know how to break the ice and discuss the elephant in the car, so to speak. The disagreement over whether or not they should include Dagny in their venture was never fully resolved, and it was immediately shelved with the discovery that Nyla had apparently assaulted Lilly again. Both of them felt dreadful about walking away from that problem, and the fact that Dyson insisted they do just that didn't make them feel any better about it. And they both suspected the presence of the Valkyrie at the Dal was most likely the catalyst for the latest abuse.

Lauren took a deep breath and let it out slowly, looking out the passenger window of Bo's Camaro. "I think we should try to convince Lilly to seek some counseling. Maybe we should arrange an intervention for her, with all of us." She began.

"I think I should schedule an intervention with Nyla, just me and her!" The Succubus groused and gripped the steering wheel tighter.

"That won't stop Lilly from getting with another abuser." The doctor reasoned calmly.

"Well, maybe we should help her meet someone who will be good to her." Bo shot back hopefully, thinking Kenzi would be a good match maker.

"Don't we need to stop by the apartment and pick up Tamsin's journal? I don't really remember the chant to open the gates of Valhalla." Lauren realized they weren't heading home, and changed the subject abruptly.

Bo relaxed her white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel, grateful for a mundane topic to discuss instead the tense issues or enduring the deafening silence. "No, I picked it up before I went to your clinic this morning. It's in the glove box, if you want to practice before your recital!" she smiled, trying to lighten the mood.

The blonde passenger dismissed the light jest, but fetched the book just the same, "That's a good idea. I don't want to take the journal with me, and if we're going to do this we need to get it right the first time. I don't know if the gates of Valhalla have a password lockout if you get it wrong too many times in a row."

The seriousness of her tone combined with the seemingly ridiculous logic was amusing to Bo, and she couldn't help but laugh, "Password lockout? Oh hon, I don't think Bill Gates designed their operating system!"

The doctor looked up from the tome and shot an indignant look at the giggling driver. She felt her logic was sound, but then she saw the humor in it and her face cracked as she laughed along with her wife. "Ok, ok , you're right! Still, the sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can take care of other…things." She sucked in her upper lip and turned her attention back to the journal. Lauren had inadvertently mentioned the elephant and ruined the mood, and they both fell silent again.

 _ **The Dal…**_

"Ah, Rainer. Well, that's a long story…and I'm not exactly sure what his 'deal' is to be completely honest." Dyson took another pull off the bottle and relaxed into the couch. He dove right into the circumstances of how they came to remember Rainer, his contentious relationship with the Blood King, and Tamsin's involvement with putting him on the train forever traveling between dimensions. Hale's death, Kenzi being unclaimed, the Helskor, he and Lauren's attempt to enter Valhalla, Stacey's inept flirtation with him, Bo's comically adventurous Dawning invitation with Balzac and Tamsin, the killing of the Una Mens, Taft's experiments on the fae, Lauren running away – he related all these events in a non-linear manner as her questions prompted a jump backwards or forwards in the story. Some details she already knew, some were new to her, but it was interesting to hear the shifter's point of view of the events he witnessed or was told about.

 _ **Walking to Valhalla's Gates…**_

After they had stopped for a quick lunch, the Succubus carefully parked the yellow Camaro near the security guard station in the parking garage she had chosen, and then saw Lauren's questioning eyes. "Detour?" the doctor asked.

"No, I just don't want to park my car close to the gates. Remember last year when I was working a case in that area and it got stolen? Yeah, by the time Mark found the chop shop it was in it took him and Dagny months to get it back on the road!" she frowned at how she nearly lost her beloved classic car.

"It's just a car, Bo!" Lauren chided her.

The brunette laughed, "Maybe, maybe. But it has sentimental value to me…" She stroked the dashboard, lovingly. The wistful look on her face became decidedly more seductive when she turned to her wife in the passenger seat, "…and I have some _very_ fond memories that took place in the back seat!"

"Ah, no! Not now! Down girl!" the blonde playfully slapped the tentative hand that was snaking towards her away and opened the passenger door to get out. She watched her wife as she exited the car with a critical eye to diagnose her current state regarding her Succubus hunger.

Bo hurried around the vehicle to join her, and held one of her hands when she reached her with a smile, "Ready?"

"Are you?" Lauren asked in a serious tone, then explained her question. "I mean…have you fed enough lately? There might be trouble, and I know the Pixie wasn't very powerful. Last night you seemed-"

"No! I mean yes…I'm fine! It's just…I kind of had a snack since then…I'm fine." Bo finished, hoping her telling half of a truth would be enough to convince Lauren she was physically ready for whatever might happen.

"A snack? Not a full feeding? Bo, that might not be enough-" she began until the Succubus cut her off with the whole truth.

"I fed off Dagny this morning!" she blurted out. Dr. Lewis' mouth dropped, and she told her the whole incident hurriedly to curtail any accusations. "Don't look at me like that! I didn't have _sex_ with her, and it was an accident! It was dark and when I came downstairs I thought someone was breaking in! I was already all keyed about that nightmare…..and…she didn't want you to know, either…and…sorry I didn't tell you earlier." Bo grabbed her other hand and looked pleadingly into her wife's eyes, searching for evidence that she was shriven of her sins.

"Huh." Was all the human doctor could say at the moment as the bombardment of information was too much to process easily. "Ok…and what did _she_ do?"

Bo relaxed somewhat and huffed out a nervous laugh, "She did what you would expect her to do – shove me away and doubt the hell out of me!"

Lauren laughed along, picturing the comical scene in her mind. "So, I take it her chi was powerful enough to get you by for now, given her genetic heritage!"

"It was. Let's go." The Succubus released one of her wife's hands and tugged her in the direction of the alley that was blocks away.

"So…tell me about this nightmare."

Bo cringed internally, but kept walking as she hesitantly related her nerve wracking dream. There would be no more secrets, at least not between the two of them.

 _ **At the Dal…**_

As Dyson became more and more intoxicated Dagny simply listened and let him tell her what he wanted to. He delved into Bo's abandonment of her family to run with Rainer, the killing of the Women of the Horse, and how he dumped the newly reborn Tamsin on Kenzi to raise despite her protests while he searched for Bo. He ended his meandering ramblings with how he had encouraged Tamsin to stay with Bo after Kenzi left to keep the depressed Succubus company and become her business partner, and then warned her too late not to fall in love with Bo. He said he felt responsible since he should have known better since he had pledged his eternal love and devotion to Bo, only to have her walk out on both him and Lauren to bond with Rainer, and how that ended up with him having sex with Tamsin at the Dal. "Ooops, I don't think I shoulda tol' you that part!" He slurred, then put a finger on his lips as if urging her to keep his secret. He suddenly brightened, "OH, never mind! 'salright – I told Bo 'bout it a long, long time ago." He grinned widely then closed his eyes and settled back into the cushions.

"I'm sure you did, big boy! I'm sure you did." Dagny laughed; she had never seen the Wolf drink so much so fast. Something was bothering him, no doubt, but whatever it was he didn't feel inclined to share it with her. No matter, he was in a mood to tell her a lot of history in a heartfelt and interesting if not organized narrative. She got up and took the empty bottle from him, feeling a bit guilty for letting him do this to himself. But, he was a grown man and by the same token she was grateful for his alcohol fueled openness. She pulled his legs onto the couch as he had done for her earlier and took his boots off. "Go on, get some rest. I'll take care of anything that comes up." She soothed as he snuggled down into the couch. His jacket was draped over the desk, and she covered him with it, deftly catching the cell phone as it fell out of a pocket. She placed it on the end table and went back to the other books Dyson had set aside for her.

She dropped herself into the office chair and rested her elbows on the desk, holding her head. The visions she saw from the Blood Book troubled her far more than she had let on to Dyson. Her mother was working for Freya during the Blood Wars, and she felt the shame Tamsin felt at what her leader had forced her to become. Trick had called her an ugly vulture whose soul was doomed to eternal torment in Hel, and the truth of it had broken her. The more she thought about it, the more it became apparent that much of what had happened had been orchestrated. She realized that Hades had some sort of influence on events long before he took Aife from the Dark fae dungeons, before Tamsin unwittingly made her deal with him, and even probably before the Blood Wars. But why?

Dagny twisted some locks of her long blonde hair around a finger as she thought. It seemed strange that Jack would have helped Bo stop the Nyx instead of letting it take over, and then get rid of Zeus and Hera. They had already done all the work for him – it would have been a quick and easy victory without him even having to get his hands dirty if he simply hijacked Z's plans. She opened one of the books that told of the Brisingamen to the bookmarked page. It set forth the assertion that when Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades divided the worlds Hades was seduced into drawing the short straw by Freya. Tamsin, Stacey, and Acacia found out that information was fallacious and Freya was nothing more than a paper tiger and another pawn of the Dark Lord. If the other Ancients feared him so much – why didn't he just take control from them right then and there at the very beginning of things? No, Hades wasn't interested in power or ruling anything. He could have had all of that long ago.

Her phone alarm beeped and it startled her out of her reverie; it was time to take her disgusting anti-devolving potion. She groaned aloud and turned it off. Gazing longingly at the empty whiskey bottle, she decided to venture upstairs to get something to chase down the unpalatable medicine.

 _ **The Gates of Valhalla…**_

The Succubus took a deep breath and let it out slowly, "Ok, here we go! Now, please – let me do the talking first, and then you can ask your questions. No offense, but I know Acacia, and I've been here before."

"None taken." She gave her wife a toothy grin, unable to contain her excitement. "This is it!" she leaned forward and kissed the brunette deeply.

Once their lips parted, Bo panted out, "Right – you're up first. Do your thing!"

"Wait!" the doctor took the bag of Tamsin's hair and stuffed into her bra. "Just in case! I don't want it to fall again!" They shared a nervous laugh, then turned to face the graffiti covered brick wall of the inconspicuous alley that led to another world.

As Lauren recited the chant out loud, the wall faded and the gates of Valhalla appeared. Once she finished, the doctor stepped through in wonderment. It looked just as it had the last she was here, and she involuntarily closed her eyes and cringed as she waited for the Valkyrie to take control of her mind as they had before. But nothing happened, and she took few more steps forward to look through the fog and snow at the large statues and building they obscured.

 _ **At the Dal…**_

Dagny leaned against the end of the bar nearest the stairs to the office. She didn't want to venture any further in than she needed to, least she tempt the Amazon into another confrontation that might not end as pleasantly as the last one had. Lilly was there, anyways, even though her back was to her and the Valkyrie softly called out to her to get her attention, "Hey Lilly, can you get me a beer? Larger, preferably, but anything handy will do. I'm not particular." The Nymph turned around in alarm, and the action as well as the bruise on her cheek raised the hair on the Valkyrie's neck. "Ouch! What happened to you?" she asked.

"N-nothing. A keg fell down. It were an accident." she told her flatly. But her eyes denied her statement. The blonde's own eyes narrowed suspiciously, and she felt her own anger rising. The ginger fae saw that and excused herself telling her she already had a customer, and called Devon over to help the Valkyrie. It was getting more crowded in the Dal; there was an important early evening hockey game on tonight and the pre-game drinking was commencing early. Dagny's light green eyes followed the Nymph to the other end of the bar where Nyla was leering at her with self-satisfaction. The Amazon raised her eyebrows and tilted her head in a silent challenge Dagny seemed to take into consideration until the gangly Devon stopped her.

"Don'. Don' do it. She gotta whole clan a like minded bitches that'll mop tha floor with ya, and erbody else in tha bar tonight. A few of em are here rite now. Don' go there unless yer sure ya can take them all on." He told her in his drawl that betrayed his raise as being from the southern United States. He set a tall glass of cold beer in front of her and leaned forward once she turned her eyes to meet his. The dark haired bartender answered her accusatory and incredulous look with a verbal explanation. "I'd take her out maself if I'da been through ma Dawning already. I got no powers right now, but don' chew worry none. Dyson, Bo, an' Lauren are already aware of tha sitchuashun. An' not much we can do when Lilly keeps insisit'n she luvs her."

"Love is bullshit." The Valkyrie spit out with venom, then drained her beer in one long draught and slammed the glass down. _Vex wasn't worried about_ _ **me**_ _when he warned me to stay away from Lilly, he was worried about_ _ **her**_ _! What the hell is wrong with people…_ She remembered her original reason for coming upstairs in the first place, and gestured for another beer. As the pale bar man complied with her request, she ventured a look at the Amazon out of the corner of her eye without turning her head. The brutish fae was laughing and clapping the back of a similar looking woman with her blonde hair in a ponytail the Valkyrie assumed was one of her own kind. As Devon placed the second beer in front of her as he watched her carefully. "Put it on my tab." The Valkyrie told him curtly, and got up to go downstairs. She was stopped by a gentle hand on her own.

"Naw. It's on me, darnlin.' I know yew can figurr out what to do. You're a Valkyrie. My people, we keep tha ole faith." He winked at her, as she had done to him earlier.

The Valkyrie walked down the stairs slowly, then hurried down them quickly as an idea came to her. She set down her beer and called Mark to ask him down to the Dal, telling him the situation. Somehow, she didn't feel as if she had done enough – but she had to take care of herself now and so drank down the vile cocktail Lauren had prescribed to her. The bartender had set her on edge with his cryptic words, and she felt sure he didn't mean she should call the cops or wait for Dyson or Bo to do something about it. _After my Dawning…there will be a reckoning…_

As she chased down the distasteful potion with her beer, she nearly chocked it back out as the incessant buzzing of Dyson's cell phone distracted her. Bo was calling, and she pondered what Devon had said about Bo and Lauren knowing what had happened. _How could Bo just walk away from this – it doesn't make sense…she would have put Nyla in a hospital for this or even worse! And Lauren, no, no I can't believe she would let this go. Something important is going on if both of them-_

Her thoughts were disrupted by the ringing of the office phone. She checked the caller ID, already assuming whom it was and proven correct by it. It was her sister, again. She answered it with a sarcastic sing-song imitation of a receptionist, "Dal Riata, Dyson's office. This is Dagny speaking, how may I direct your call?"

"Dagny! I need to speak to Dyson right now!" Bo's urgent voice came through the phone's speaker quite loudly. She had hoped to ask the shifter to drive her sister to the gates, and let him explain things to her. After the disagreement over Stacey, Bo didn't want to risk a delay for a temper tantrum or argument from her sister.

The Valkyrie pulled the phone slightly away from her ear with a wince. She continued, still in her affected professional voice, "I'm sorry, Dyson is…indisposed. It seems as though something upset him today, and he drank himself into a stupor. I can assure you; it had nothing to do with me. You wouldn't happen to know wh-"

"Shit! Shit! Shit…Ok…look…I'm sorry…but, Lauren and I tried to go to Valhalla to talk to Acacia. She made it through the gates - I didn't. Dagny, Lauren is trapped in Valhalla by-"

"I'm on my way." the Valkyrie slammed the phone down and grabbed her jacket on the way up the stairs.


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: Thanks erbody for reading, and such. Rating changed to M for violence and Acacia's potty mouth. I just love Acacia zero tolerance for bullshit. And, since it will be a mature rating…well, we'll see what happens later.**

Dawning of a Valkyrie

Chapter 24: Hard Truths and Tough Love

Now more confident her mind wouldn't be controlled without the Brisingamen, Lauren stepped further inside Valhalla to get a better look around through the fog. When she heard the creaking of the gates again and Bo calling her name in alarm, and she whirled around to see what the matter was. The gates were slammed shut, and all she could see beyond them was more fog and snow. Bo was nowhere in sight, and no longer in earshot. She was alone in Valhalla.

 _ **The Dal…**_

"I'm on my way." the Valkyrie slammed the phone down and grabbed her jacket on the way up the stairs. She dropped her sarcastic and snarky demeanor the instant she knew Lauren was in danger, but the anger – she held on to that. _Bo will have her reckoning for this, as well. She wants to talk about how I feel about things, but only after she does whatever the hell she wants, never before she tells me!_

Bo's sister didn't wait for directions to Valhalla's gates so long kept secret from her – she knew where she needed to go instinctually. Maybe she was finally mature enough to find it on her own, or maybe she just wanted to go there bad enough to be able to find it on her own. And she didn't need her mother's journal; she had long ago committed the words to open the gates to memory. By the time she reached the bar, she had her jacket on and was easily cutting through the crowd like a wedge. Lilly called out something to her, it may have been a warning, and apology, or a simple good bye– she couldn't be sure with the ambient noise of the revelers and right now it didn't matter. Until it did matter when the outside door was blocked by a humongous woman with one side of her head shaved and a cigarette tucked behind one ear, arms folded across her chest. "Got a light?" the lumbering fae in the sleeveless t-shirt asked in a poorly affected innocent voice.

 _ **Valhalla…**_

Lauren looked around desperately, and called out to her wife, "Bo!...Bo!...Bo…where are you?" She couldn't see or hear any answer, until her eyes caught a glimpse light reflected on metal in the fog-muted sunlight and the sound of many feet crunching through the snow. It wasn't until then that she noticed the cold and shivered. Whoever it was, they were coming from the huge stone building and headed right for her. She nearly panicked, until she realized she had nowhere to hide and they would be upon her before she could even try to open the gates and escape.

Resigned to whatever fate had in store for her, she held her head up high and turned around to face the Valkyrie. She sucked in a breath in surprise; they weren't the khaki wearing robot-like thugs Bo described. There were five of them, and they appeared surprisingly like the lightly armored majestic warriors depicted in so many books of Norse mythology. They stopped marching a respectable and non-threatening distance from her as their apparent leader stepped closer and took off her helmet, releasing her flowing blonde hair. "The Succubus and the child of Tamsin didn't come with you?" The doctor was gob-stopped and swallowed as she shook her head silently. She looked back at the gate, as if deciding whether or not to make a run for it when the lead Valkyrie informed her, "Very well, please come with us. Mistress Acacia has been expecting you." She put her helmet on and nodded her encouragement as she turned to lead them back from whence they came. _Well, they certainly are courteous – I'll give them that._

 _ **At the Dal…**_

"No, sorry. I don't smoke. Excuse me." Dagny answered politely and tried to move past her. She was shoved violently several steps back by meaty arms, and when she recovered – Nyla was standing in front of her with a wicked grin.

"You're not going anywhere, bitch! Not until we get some things straight." The Amazon was intoxicated enough to start a fight against all good judgment, but sober enough to do some serious damage.

"She's your girlfriend, got it. I got the message the _first_ time. I'll stay away from her. I'm leaving now." the Valkyrie stated and thought that would be enough to settle the matter until a large bottle of liquor crashed and broke against the left side of her face. The force of it turned her sideways and nearly took her off her feet. She saw the blood mixed with alcohol dripping on the floor, and paused to spit more blood out of her mouth as she used her other senses to assess the situation while still leaned over. Laughing, she could hear was laughing from at least four different people above the bar employees' shouts and the gasps of the bar patrons. _With the one that blindsided me on the left, I can account for three. The fourth must either be behind me or to the right. They aren't very honorable fighters, so I'm guessing…_ The Amazons jeered and laughed as Devon announced that he was calling the police, to which they promised that they would finish their business before the law arrived.

"She has to be taught to not to play with other people's toys!" Nyla sneered loudly.

 _ **Valhalla…**_

They led her through the heavy doors of the fortress, which opened up not into an exclusive five star hotel, but a large garish casino. There were no classy guest dressed to the nines, no polite uniformed staff, cheerleaders and designer floral arrangements– it was a seemed to be an alcohol fueled party for the boldest of souls. A large television screen advertised an upcoming bout between Joe Lewis and Mohammed Ali, and she stared at it in disbelief until she passed it. _Oh, I wish I could explore this place! I wonder how many great people are here! Then again…_ The lead Valkyries causally pushed some drunken revelers in 18th century style frock coats and knickers aside as they tried to introduce themselves to Lauren. They called out promises to look for her later as the group passed them. Her escort guided her through the noisy casino floor past blinking slot machines, scantily clad waitresses serving patrons at the craps tables and down a private hallway, stopping at two double doors. Their leader opened them with a flourish, and gestured to the doctor that she should enter, "Please, madam."

Lauren stepped through the doors and stared at the back of a large office chair, the occupant obviously watching looking through the window behind her desk that gave a bird's eye view of a martial arts contest in the ring below. She slowly walked forward to stand in front of the desk and waited expectantly. Once the door closed, her host turned to face her guest. "Well, well – the hot doctor! Welcome to Valhalla." She stood up and extended her hand across her desk to shake hands, "I'm Acacia, Mistress of Valhalla and commander of the Valkyrie forces, at your service."

 _ **In the Alley at the Gates of Valhalla…**_

Bo was frantically dialing numbers now; after her sister hung up on her she couldn't reach her on her cell phone. She tried the public and private numbers to the Dal, the former was busy the later rang without answer. "Shit! Shit!" In desperation, she called Mark and was relieved when the young shifter picked up after only two rings.

"Bo, can it wait? I'm going out on a call to the Dal!" Mark emphatically informed her. She could hear his car's siren wailing

"Dagny is at the Dal! Mark, I'm trying to get hold of her and Dyson, and neither one is answering! What's going on there?" the Succubus asked, her heart now thundering in her chest knowing both her wife and her sister were in danger. And she was at least a mile away from her own vehicle, if not further. She hadn't felt so helpless since her battle with her father, and the memory of it was bringing her close to panic. She had felt nearly omnipotent after realizing the full extent of her powers, until a simple thing like stepping through the gates was denied her, and she felt her father's influence once again. _Do I dare leave the gates to help Dagny? What if Lauren escapes, and needs my help? I_ _ **know**_ _Jack had something to do with this!_

"I don't know exactly what's going on, some kind of fight with multiple participants. I'll be there soon, Bo! Don't worry, I'll make sure Dagny is alright. Gotta go – I'll call you back!" He ended the call.

The Succubus knew she was beginning to think irrationally when she entertained the idea of storming the Dark fae compound and freeing Stacey to open the gates for her. _I need to calm down and think logically…even if I could do that - Stacey is banished and so she can't open them anyway, and even if she could – I can't go through them. I need Dagny here, and she said she was on her way. She'll get here, I have to believe that. She is my sister, she's strong, and no matter how pissed off she is at me she would never refuse to help if Lauren is in danger. Mark will make sure she is alright, she will get here, and she will get Lauren…I have to believe in them…but why doesn't Jack want me to go to Valhalla?_

Calmed somewhat, she paced the alley as she waited for a return call or a familiar vehicle to enter the alley. After some minutes ticked by, she couldn't help herself from dialing Lauren's number just in case the connection would somehow reach the other world. It didn't.

 _ **Valhalla…**_

Lauren sipped her green tea as she sat across from Acacia and eyed her with gradually fading suspicion. She had only agreed to have some refreshment after being assured that Valhalla wasn't Tartarus, and she could eat and drink all she wished without the threat of being trapped there. "Seriously, if I wanted to poison you, I could have had someone slip you a little something in your morning coffee at Hal's Café. You go there every Friday at 7:15 am promptly to have the special of the day – empanadas. You really should vary your schedule; you never know who is studying your habits. Unpredictability is the key to not being a hard target." Acacia had told her matter-of-factly. But she refused to tell her how she knew or why that information was something of interest to her.

Overall, Lauren found Acacia's company pleasant but somewhat uncouth. She was an incongruous leader, polite yet blunt to the point of rudeness, dressed in a very stylish professional blazer and skirt yet tatted up like a biker, and seemingly concerned about justice albeit her intensity suggested she was capable of extreme violence. The doctor leaned forward and set her cup down, "Thank you, Mistress Acacia for your hospitality. But I really should be going; Bo must be worried."

"Oh, please! You came here for a reason, and you haven't even brought it up! Surely you didn't risk a trip to the netherworlds after all these years for a cup of tea? Spit it out!" Acacia told her bluntly.

"But – I'm worried about Bo! Please, if I'm your guest and not your prisoner, can't I leave when I want to?" Lauren reasoned.

"You can leave when your escort arrives. It shouldn't take long. But you imposed on me, so grant me the satisfaction of my curiosity as to why _you_ are here _._ " Acacia leaned forward to glare at Lauren, for the first time showing how intimidating she could be.

 _ **Parking Lot of the Dal…**_

Dagny nearly made it to her truck when her cell phone buzzed. Or rather, it had been ringing for some time as she was too pre-occupied at the time to notice it. "What? I said I'm on my way!"

"Dagny, thank the gods! Please listen! I'm not joking, Lauren is in Valhalla alone! I need to give you direc-" the Succubus pleaded, but was cut off.

"Shit! Damn it Mark! Hold on Bo…" the Valkyrie took the phone away from her ear after she was spun around bodily by the panther. "Mark, not now! There's been an assault and a fight in the Dal. Go investigate!" She fumbled for the keys and turned off the alarm of her truck, bloody hands shaking with adrenaline.

The Succubus could barely only hear Dagny's side of the conversation, but it didn't make any sense to her. "No, no I'm fine!...Yes…well, no. It was me….yeah, four of them. ….no, I can't! Lauren's in trouble!...Well, I really don't give a shit about that right now! You better hold them for awhile, or your morgue might be filled to capacity by morning!... **Mark, leave me alone - talk to me tomorrow** ….Police are always minutes away my ass!" she muttered to herself as she put the phone back up to her ear and then addressed her sister as she climbed into the truck. "Bo, I'm seriously on my way. I'll get there as fast as I can." She ended the call tossed it in the passenger seat. Starting the engine and putting it in gear, she laid rubber out of the parking lot and well onto the surface streets.

 _ **Valhalla…**_

"I…uhmm…we were wondering what was going to happen to Stacey?" Lauren asked Bo's question instead of one the many ones she had.

"She will be punished for her betrayal and scheming with Hades and Freya; if she accepts her punishment and performs her act of contrition – she will be reinstated fully into the sisterhood without further retribution or malice. I can't afford to lose anymore Valkyrie to Bo's father." Acacia told her nothing more than she already knew, in so many words.

"But, why did you hire Evony to help you?" the doctor asked, leaning on her arms on the desk. Her curiosity had finally overcome her trepidation. _._

"Meh, habit I guess. I was a bounty hunter and a mercenary, once. I'm not adverse to using them since I'm busy repairing centuries of damage to the Valhalla and Valkyrie spirit and reputation. I don't want to send my people out as thugs when I can get someone else to do it for me. And Freya was stupid enough to play bird dog for me for years, flush her out and drive her back to your colony. Sooner or later, she was bound to look for Tamsin or Bo to help her. Here is a piece of information for _you_ – Evony is trying to play both sides. She thinks I don't know she is also working to fulfill Freya's bounty for the Brisingamen, but I don't hold it against her. She is an opportunist, nothing more. But you cannot let her get hold of Freya's trinket; that would put an end to all we've worked for in order to stop Hades." She sat back in her chair and let the information sink in. Acacia felt sure the Succubus had the necklace Tamsin took from Freya, and watched the doctor's face for any sign that she was right in her assumption.

 _Shit…she knows…she knows…Great, I have stumbled alone into Narnia with , Aslan, and the White Witch all rolled into one…_ Lauren thought to herself grimly.

 _ **On the Road…**_

Dagny raced the truck far too fast for safety's sake down narrow alleyways to take the shortest route to where she was going. She couldn't say exactly where that was, but whatever was guiding her there was obviously choosing the most direct if not the easiest path to get there. The phone rang again, and she picked it up foolishly as when she leaned over to reach it the truck clipped the corner of a large dumpster. The blonde gained control of the vehicle, then hit the answer button as she cursed her luck in a mutter, "That shit ain't just gonna buff out…What is it NOW?"

"Where are you? I have to give you directions! I'm at-"

"DAMN IT!" the Valkyrie dropped the phone without ending the call as she put both hands on the wheel and threaded the truck through the cross traffic of a major street without the right of way, dodging cars with angry drivers.

Bo heard her sister cursing and the sounds of many car horns and squealing of tires. "Out of the way ASSHOLE!" The blonde was obviously laying heavily on her own horn now...Yeah, yeah, you wish buddy!" The Succubus tried unsuccessfully to get her sister to talk to her, then paused as the racing engine and horns she could hear in the distance where also the same as what were coming out of the phone speaker. As the sounds got closer, she watched in awe as Dagny's familiar truck careened around the corner and scraped the left brick wall of the alley before straightening out. It screeched to a stop next to her. The Valkyrie looked a hot mess as she jumped out of the vehicle without even turning off the engine or shutting the door. "Park that for me, will ya?" she shot out as she strode past the Succubus.

 _ **Valhalla…**_

"I see. Thank you, for warning me about Evony." The human nodded and looked at her hands on the desk. The Valkyrie in front of her was shrewd and she knew they were playing a little game gauging each other's trustworthiness. _Time to change the subject to anything but what Bo found in Stacey's truck, or Tamsin's truck._ Lauren thought. "Actually, I wanted to ask you a question to help my research in fae genetics and development - is it true Stacey's father was human?"

Acacia gave out a hearty belly laugh, "I don't know who Stacey's father is! I'm sure in that ridiculous Valkyrie High Freya ran the young pups gossiped like human teenagers, but those days are gone! We don't run a Valkyrie Family History Library or a cheerleader camp anymore. A Valkyrie is a Valkyrie – that is the only thing that matters! I don't even remember who my own father was! So, you've asked your question – now here is mine: why didn't the Succubus send Tamsin's daughter here with you?" the Mistress of Valhalla steepled her fingers together and looked intensely at the human. It was clear she had been waiting to ask this question.

"But, why didn't you send Valkyrie to meet Dagny if your intentions are…noble?" The blonde tried to steer the conversation away from something she didn't want to admit while she was in a fairly helpless position.

"I don't want any more dead Valkyrie. And we don't kidnap our own – they come to us, willingly. Unless they violate our code, like Stacey. But Dagny has never felt the pull of Valhalla strong enough to make it here. I wonder whom it is that might have influenced her mind against us?" Acacia asked in a tone that informed the listener she knew exactly of whom she spoke.

"I…well, Bo is…concerned about her sister…and she…didn't know what might happen to her once she got here…" The blonde doctor hated being put on the spot to answer for someone else's decisions – especially when she disagreed with them.

"Her sister doesn't trust us, imagine that. Well, we are more of a family to Dagny than the other daughter of the beast that raped her mother!" Acacia spat out with vitriol.

 _ **At the gates of Valhalla…**_

Bo was now, once again, concerned for her sister, as well as Lauren. "Dagny, what happened? Are you alright? Your face…" Clearly, the Valkyrie would have a completely black eye in the morning, and drying blood that was still oozing from nasty open cuts covered nearly the whole left side of her face. Some of the blonde hair was stuck to the blood, as she had evidently had no time to make any attempt to clean it up after her injury.

"You think this is bad, you should see the other bitches…" Dagny mumbled as she looked at the alley wall for the appropriate place to open the gates of Valhalla. She stopped in front of the graffiti covered entrance and looked at her sister, "You coming or not?"

"I-I can't. Lauren stepped through…and everything just – vanished. The Helskor – they won't let me pass the gates this time." Bo stated imploringly.

Her sister huffed out a laugh, "NOW I get it; daddy grounded you and you need little sis to bail you out." She was fuming, but took a deep breath and stood up straight to calm herself and concentrate on the words she needed to reveal the gates.

"Dagny – I'm sorry. I should have taken you with me." She grabbed the sleeve of her sister's jacket, but the action only irked her sister.

 _ **Valhalla…**_

Lauren sucked in a breath, hoping she hadn't overstepped her bounds. "I'm sorry…I wanted Dagny to come along…Bo really loves her sister-"

Acacia slammed her hands on the desk in outrage and stood up, "To me, Tamsin was the daughter I never had! I would never harm her child!" She took a deep breath and slowly sank back down once she saw the frightened look on her guest's face. "Forgive me; I've spent too much time on Earth with the emotional mortals. I forget myself sometimes. I apologize; after what Freya forced the Valkyrie to do for her and Hades – I really can't blame you or your wife for not trusting us. And my own…nefarious past after my banishment doesn't lend me a lot of credibility. But I have led many lives, and not all of them were as an outcast. Can I get you something else while we wait?"

"No, no I'm fine. Thank you." The blonde cleared her throat and busied herself looking around the office as an awkward silence fell.

 _ **The Gates of Valhalla….**_

The Valkyrie allowed herself to slip out of the jacket rather than allow her sister to use it to pull her into another face to face conversation, "I'm trying to pray here!"

"But, Tamsin's journal, it's in my car!"

"I don't need it." The Valkyrie said, meaning both the jacket and the journal. If she felt cold without a coat in her blood and liquor soaked maroon t-shirt and worn-out jeans, she didn't reveal any signs of it as she chanted out the ancient words and the gates appeared to her for the first time. It should have been a moment of celebration; a milestone in her life. But all she felt was the urgent drive to get through them and bring Lauren back safely. As she stepped through them and into the arctic-like world beyond she heard her sister whisper, "Please bring her back to me!"

 _ **Valhalla…**_

Acacia didn't move at all or speak for long minutes, even when strange sounds drifted into the room from behind the closed doors. As they grew louder, Lauren snapped her head towards the door in alarm. An apparent physical altercation was going on outside and she could make out shouting in the ancient Valkyrie tongue as well as muffled curses in English. She turned to look at Acacia expectantly, but the Valkyrie remained stock still and calmly waited with her elbows on the desk and hands folded. There were noises of slamming against the door, then suddenly they burst open with a splintering of wood.

The doctor stood up and turned to look at the disruption to see Dagny's booted feet had kicked the doors open, but she was being held off the ground by a cohort of Valkyrie who were struggling with limited success to keep her under control. These Valkyrie weren't dressed in armor like the ones that escorted her, they were wore more modern camouflage uniforms and all wore their hair neatly tied up. _Apparently, Acacia had rolled out the red carpet for me!_ The human mused to herself, despite the seriousness of the situation. She noticed a few of the security escort lying on the floor, as the others swarmed on Dagny to force her into the room. Two of the escorting Valkyrie stood behind the three holding her, and had fistfuls of her long blonde hair in an attempt to quell her struggles.

"Dagny!" Lauren cried out, both relieved and frightened. She gasped at the sight of her wife's sister. She looked like she taken a lot of punishment from the Valkyrie, and was in a lot of pain. "Acacia, what is this?!"

"THIS is one **hell** of an entrance! Her mother would be proud!" Acacia's eyes gleamed as she gleefully watched the battle.

At the sound of the familiar voice, the young Valkyrie managed to get both feet on the ground and renewed her attempts at escape vigorously until Acacia called out loudly from behind her desk in the ancient language of the Valkyrie. The guards immediately released their captive and simply stood around her in a phalanx, those who had been knocked to the floor hurriedly recovering themselves and joining the others in formation. Dagny was shocked to find that Lauren was in the office with her, unharmed, and so simply stood breathing heavily as she tried to work out exactly what was going on. As she stared into the doctor's eyes, she calmed herself as the human's expression wordlessly told her she was alright and silently implored her to play it cool.

The apparent leader of the squad, a formidable dark-skinned Valkyrie with neatly braided hair stepped forward to meet Acacia as she rounded the desk to inspect their prize. She gave her Mistress a terse nod in salute and began reporting to her formally. ' _Gate…couldn't find… caught her … fight_ …' - these were the only parts of the conversation Lauren could pick up with her limited grasp of their language. The Mistress stopped her with a raised hand, and walked through the patrol to stand in front of the young intruder. The pair eyed each other up and down, each sizing up the other as if they were about to swing at each other. The ridiculousness of it would have been enough to set Dr. Lewis into a giggling fit under different circumstances.

But Acacia's mood grew foul at the sight of the injured and bleeding young Valkyrie, and she whirled around to remonstrate with the leader of the squad by striding up to stand toe to toe with her and shouting angrily in her face. Lauren couldn't understand the words, but she was pretty sure of the context, and it was confirmed when the young Valkyrie spoke up suddenly. She answered in their own language haltingly as best she could, and when Acacia's eyes met hers in awe – she repeated her statement in English for clarity. "They didn't do this to me."

"Well, it speaks! Points for that. And a bonus – honest! Wouldn't you rather see them get punished for whatever it is that happened to you? Get a little…payback for them trussing you up and dragging you in here kicking and screaming? Hmmm?" Acacia prodded as she walked back to the young Valkyrie, her intentions and playfully ominous demeanor confusing to both Lauren and her sister-in-law.

"No, I wouldn't. And I wasn't screaming." She added the last statement and drew herself up a little taller.

"Wow. Proud, aren't you?...Good." She stepped forward and sniffed at the young blonde, jerking back at the fumes of grain alcohol. "Bar fight, huh. How many?"

"Four." Dagny answered concisely, suddenly understanding this was not only laying the foundation for their relationship, but a test of her strength and character.

"Beating up on helpless humans?" Acacia asked crossing her arms and walking around the young Valkyrie, inspecting her up and down.

"No, Amazons. They started it."

"Nice! Points. So, tough gal - did ya win?" she leaned forward and asked sarcastically.

"I'm standing here, aren't I?" Dagny smirked.

Acacia laughed, no longer able to contain her mirth at having Tamsin's daughter finally standing in front of her, and relieved that the young woman seemed up to her high standards. "Cocky, to boot! Ok, fair enough. One more question – do you know who I am?"

"Yes. You are the Valkyrie Acacia, Mentor of Tamsin and Mistress of Valhalla by her hand. Do you know who **I** am?" Dagny crossed her own arms to mimic the posture of her interrogator with a smirk.

"Do _**you**_ who you are? I mean, other than the result of Hades' rape of that heartbroken, lovesick idiot Tamsin?" the elder Valkyrie shot back with narrowed eyes, finally vanquishing the confidence the young fae had displayed since she walked through the gates. Dagny's head fell, and she dropped her arms to her side. She said nothing and looked at her boots. In that instant, Acacia realized the young woman had never heard of the circumstances of her birth in such blunt terms, if at all. Her eyes grew wide as she regarded the sullen visitor, then glanced briefly at her other guest in surprise.

Lauren gulped – this was not the way she wanted to have this discussion, and walked forward to comfort her with a comforting hand on her shoulder, "Dagny…" she began, but couldn't find the words to continue.

Acacia had no such problem, and pushing the human aside harshly goaded Dagny in a raised voice, "HA! Don't have an answer to _that_ do you, **smart ass**! Lucky for you the Amazons were too stupid to know how easy it is to bring you to your knees!" She leaned down to put her head close to Dagny's as it faced the floor, and saw that her eyes were closed tightly as she fought her emotions. Her distress didn't deter the elder Valkyrie's tirade, "What, are you gonna _**cry**_ now? Go ahead then – mommy did plenty of crying over the Succubus she _knew_ didn't love her before she died! You better get your head out of your ass, Princess! Because if _**this**_ is who you are - **you** are about to be in a world of _**SHIT**_!" She straightened up, her full attention back to Dr. Lewis as she said with a more civil tone, "Your escort is here now; you can run back to Bo. We wouldn't want her raising more demons from Hel again to come rescue you!"

"I'm **not** leaving without Dagny!"


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: A word of explaination about Dyson in response to FrenChi and Guest reviewer – In the last episode of the show he convinced Lauren to give her relationship with Bo another chance and Lauren told him after she was gone he would always be there for Bo. So, I don't think this is something Dyson dwells on day to day but rather just a possibility for the future in the back of his mind. But after arguing with Bo and all the stress he is under politically and personally with his family, it was easy to lose himself in his drinking. It wasn't something he intentionally did, but since Dagny had the bottle and he didn't want her drinking it he indulged himself in his memories and answered her questions about Trick and the Blood Wars both to satisfy her curiosity about fae history and to reminisce about the past. He also wanted to keep her out of trouble upstairs, but that didn't work out. But Dagny did have the presence of mind to call Mark, unfortunately he didn't make it there before Bo called and the trouble started.**

 **It's not that Dyson is obsessing over Bo, just that he is facing the fact that what he once thought may be possible will most likely never happen and that was the last straw in a stressful day that pushed him into shutting down for awhile when the opportunity fell in his lap, so to speak. But the night is just getting started, and they will need the wolf soon. Everyone has their strengths and weakness, and the family will help each other become stronger.**

Dawning of a Valkyrie

Chapter 25: Born Again Hard

"I'm **not** leaving without Dagny!" Lauren stated with conviction. There was no way she was going to walk out of Valhalla without her.

"Well, well, well…you certainly found your courage, brave little mouse! Good for you! But I'm not done with Tamsin's dying gift to her _precious_ Bo, yet. Don't worry, you have my blood oath: I will send her along shortly, unharmed. And _**you**_ wanted return to Bo soooo badly!" The cynicism of Acacia's statement was expressed not only in her words, but the narrowing of her eyes.

"I'm not leaving her here alone." Eyes wide, the blonde doctor remained resolute.

Acacia laughed and leaned down to talk loudly into the emotional Valkyrie's ear, "Awwww, did you hear that! Your owner's human wife refuses to leave her helpless, fragile little flower alone in Valhalla with the big, bad Valkyrie! She has bigger balls than _you_ do! No, nothing to say? Like mother like daughter, I guess – long on emotion, short on common sense. Tamsin could take down an entire army but was cut down by words." She whirled back to the doctor, "Human, you **are** fucking leaving right now, or you will be escorted out in the same manner your pampered pet Valkyrie was escorted in here!" Acacia stepped well into Dr. Lewis' personal space when she issued her threat.

"She stays." Dagny finally spoke, and it broke the tension, or at least diverted the focus of it back to her.

 _ **Outside the gates…**_

Bo had finally stopped pacing and returned to sit in her sister's truck she had parked at the end of the alley. She heard a pulse from a siren and looked up in alarm to see Mark's unmarked police car entire the opposite end of the alley. The Succubus got out of Dagny's truck and walked over to meet the young shifter as he exited his own vehicle. "Mark! What are you doing here?"

"Tracking down your rampaging sister! Where is she?" He looked around the empty alley in futilely.

"I called her here…wait, what do you mean, 'rampaging'?" Bo asked, although she had already seen the evidence something was amiss herself.

"Did you not see her **face**?" he asked incredulously, then looked behind the brunette at the truck, "Or her vehicle?"

The Valkyrie's pride and joy, her truck, was now indeed dented and deeply scratched. Bo sighed, "Ok, I don't know what happened to her face, but she was driving like crazy because I asked her to help me get Lauren out of Valhalla!"

"Lauren! Is she alright?"

"I don't know, I just don't know…all we can do is wait." Her voice cracked with the helplessness she felt, and Mark stepped forward to wrap her up in a warm hug.

 _ **Valhalla…**_

"So, the cat that got your tongue choked on it and spit it back out, huh. Such a _loyal_ little puppy, aren't you! Doesn't matter – she's leaving!" Acacia lifted her hand and opened her mouth to issue an order before being cut off.

"I may not know **who** I am, but I _**know**_ I'm not a person that will stand by and let you do that to her. Not without a fight." The young Valkyrie stated loudly and emphatically with clenched fists, as she slowly raised her head to glare intensely into Acacia's eyes.

The ancient Valkyrie grinned and snapped her fingers, shouting out a single word in the Valkyrie tongue. Dagny braced herself for a combat, but the squad of warriors surrounding them melted away quickly and orderly out of the doors, shutting them closed behind them as best they could with the broken latches.

Once they were alone, Acacia told her blatantly, "You're paying to fix my door, by the way, if you make it through your Dawning. **Sit**! Let's get this shit over with; I've already wasted too much time on your shenanigans. And you-" she pointed at Lauren, "-are privileged to hear this advice as a non-fae! So keep your mouth shut!"

 _ **In the Alley…**_

"Hey, hey! I's going to be OK! Don't worry, Lauren's smart and resourceful– she'll know what to do! And I'm sure Dagny can help her out of there! She easily doubted me when I tried to stop her from leaving! She took down four Amazons at the Dal, and put one of them in the hospital!" the detective stroked her hair gently.

Bo sniffed, trying to hold back her tears by indulging her curiosity, "Why would she get into a fight? And who did she put in the hospital?"

He pulled away just a bit once she had settled down and grinned at her, "That information wasn't easy to come by, since everyone in the bar apparently was somewhere else when it happened!" He laughed at his companion's expression and explained, "I don't think anyone there wanted to be a witness against Dagny in court. But, the Doppelganger pulled me aside told me what happened."

… _ **..The Fight at the Dal…..**_

After behind hit with the bottle, Dagny was still bent over and clearing her head as she spit out blood from her mouth. She was dazed, her eyes watered, her opponents were celebrating, and her face throbbed. Breathing heavily, and ignoring the celebratory taunts Dagny lifted her eyes without moving her head and saw the duty belt of the former security guard. There was an asp, an extendable baton, on her belt. She smiled wickedly, and still bent over reached out blindly and apparently helplessly to grasp the bar with her left hand as if she needed it for support. The Amazons jeered and laughed at Devon as he announced that the police were on their way, to which they promised that they would finish their business before the law arrived.

But out of the corner of her eye the Valkyrie saw the half full mug of beer on the bar none of them noticed was dangerously close to her left hand. And while her attackers were distracted talking to Devon, she snapped her body upright and swept the glass up in one smooth movement. It crashed into Nyla's laughing face as she used her right hand to pull the asp out of her belt and extend is as she whirled around and swept it backwards connecting solidly with the face of the Amazon behind her who had unwisely given away her position with her celebratory boasting.

The crowd had moved well away from the brawl by now, some with fright and horror; others simply wanted to stay out of the way and enjoy a good show. If the Valkyrie was paying attention, she would have heard the encouragement many of the bar regulars were shouting to her. But before any of her uninjured and shocked attackers could react, she had already reversed herself and turned back to swing on Nyla. She didn't hit her with the baton as the Amazon's wide eyes and raised arm betrayed she expected that attack. Instead she swept Nyla's legs out cleanly from under her with her left leg and brought her weapon down on the side of the face of the initiator of the fight, a blonde haired tan girl with a ponytail. Just as she had done Dagny, the Amazon never saw it coming as Nyla was blocking her view until she hit the ground a split second before the pony-tailed Amazon followed her. The Valkyrie gave the downed Amazons each a swift kick for good measure.

That only left Ms Cigarette, and she had watched everything unfold swiftly without a chance to move from her position of blocking the door. The Valkyrie heard the moans of her victims on the floor, and realized her remaining opponent was slow, but very strong and probably the most dangerous threat. She couldn't risk getting close and tried using her power of doubt on her, "I think you want to get out of my way right now."

"That don't work on us honey, but nice try!" she moved forward, which was a mistake. Dagny brought the asp down again, which was blocked with a muscular arm and a smirk as the Amazon grasped hold of the weapon. Groans of disappointment and gasps of fright went up from the audience and this time the blonde fae heard them. She had counted on her feint being ineffective, and used the asp to pull the lumbering Amazon off balance towards her as she swung a leg backwards before kicking forward with all she was worth. Her steel-toed work boot connected solidly with the crotch of her attacker and the head on collision, so to speak, was enough to drop her to her knees howling in pain and holding her delicate areas. Just to be sure the fight was out of her, Dagny held her head and brought it down forcefully to meet her lifted knee a few times until blood spewed from her broken nose and the crowd roared their approval. She let the hulk of a woman fall to the ground and heaved in a deep breath as she tossed the asp aside into the celebrating crowd.

 _ **Valhalla….**_

Dagny and Lauren looked at one another and silently took seats in front of Acacia's desk. "The Dawning isn't about who your parents are, how strong you are, or how well you mastered your powers – it's about knowing who _you_ are taking all those elements into consideration. Where you came from, who you are right now, who you want to be, what you are capable of, and how other people see you will all get confusing to you in the illusions of the Temple – and you need to sort that entire mess out in your mind and arrange it the way it should be. Sounds easy, doesn't it? It's not. Certainly not for someone who isn't sure of these things in the real world. Hades might even be there; but remember everything in the Temple is an illusion or a projection of our corporeal bodies and he can't hurt you, physically. He will try to get in your head, though, just like I did, all too easily. Get your shit together, and stop letting people tell you what and who you are! You should already know that by now."

"I…nobody's tried to tell me who I am." Her young pupil denied.

"BULLSHIT! You just let ME tell you who you are! It happens to us all, but if you confident enough in yourself what they believe means nothing to you! And as for you adopted family, withholding information and keeping you from your own kind is in essence saying you can't trust your own judgment, probably because of your adolescent rebellion and childish attempts to run away. You behavior reinforces their belief that you can't handle the hard facts of life. You think you've had a hard life; you ain't seen _shit_ yet, honey! If you want to be Valkyrie, act like one! You started off pretty good today, and then nose dived when I mentioned an unpleasant fact about your mother. Get over it! Now get your scrawny ass out of here before your ever loving sister digs up more Ancient fae to get back at me for using her wife as bait to lure you here. I don't have time to deal with that shit!" She acknowledged Lauren's startled gaze, "That's right; I slammed the portal shut behind you! I had a hunch daddy didn't want Bo paying me a visit, so I stopped you from running back to her when she couldn't make it!" She concluded by bellowing at the doors, and two Valkyrie outside opened them. The rest of the squad had disappeared.

Dagny thanked her quietly for her advice with a nod and stood up to leave, Lauren following suit. They both wondered how the Mistress of Valhalla knew so much about their lives. _Then again, Bo is pretty damn famous and Acacia seems to have connections to spies and bounty hunters – not to mention Evony and her gossiping ways._ Lauren bitterly thought.

As they reached the doors, Acacia gave her young protégé some encouragement, "Wait, I have something for you." She reached into a desk drawer and pulled out a bottle of clear liquor. Walking up to the departing pair, she tried to hand it to Dagny, "Blessings from Valhalla; it will clear your mind and calm your doubts in preparation for your battle…" Dr. Lewis eyed the large ornate bottle suspiciously, and it didn't go unnoticed. "…Oh, for **fucks** sake…"

The Mistress of Valhalla opened the bottle, and offered it to one of her soldiers. The auburn haired woman's eyes lit up as she was commanded to drink, which she did gratefully and savored the sip of liquor as her fellow at the door watched longingly. Acacia jerked her head towards the jealous soldier, and she, too accepted a drink greedily after she was handed the bottle. The elder Valkyrie snatched it back with harsh words for her soldier's gluttonous act. As the human still looked unconvinced, she frowned and took a sip herself and licked her lips as she corked the bottle and handed it to Dagny with instructions.

"A small taste only, then drink and celebrate tonight, rest tomorrow, and I will provide you with a weapon on the morning of your Dawning. The Dawning is the crucible that will burn all of the doubts out of your character and lay bare your true self. Remember what it is to be Valkyrie: Proud, noble, loyal, honest, fearless and devoted to your righteous duty. You already have those elements within you -nothing else matters."

The young Valkyrie accepted it solemnly, "Thank you, Mistress. I am in your debt."

"Damn right you are – you need to survive to work to pay for my door. It's mahogany, you know!" Acacia seemed to mellow as her pupils dilated slightly and her expression softened. Her posture became less intimidating as her body relaxed. "And Dr. Lewis, I have something for you as well." Lauren looked up at her in surprise; it was the first time she had been addressed by name. Acacia looked into her brown eyes, and with some effort told her, "The Valkyrie bloodline…is strong…always…every time. From mother…to daughter….inevitably…to a daughter." She raised her eyebrows as if to signal there was more meaning to her statement than the sum definition of her words, and Lauren acknowledged her implication with a warm smile.

"Thank you, Mistress Acacia. You have been most gracious." Lauren dipped her head in gratitude, puzzled by her change in demeanor. Even though she hadn't been granted a chance to meet with Stacey, she had been given the confirmation that her hypothesis was true and she would be able to see the Valkyrie again in the future.

"Tamsin's daughter likes you; you must be doing something right if she is willing to risk a beat down to satisfy your whims! Have a drink with her, if you are bold enough. Now, go!" The Mistress of Valhalla pushed them out of the doors, and they made their way down the hall in silence as the Valkyrie escort fell in behind them. As they departed, Acacia called out to their retreating backs, "And tell the Succubus to take her fucking shoes off first the next time she tries to enter my house!"

 _ **In the Alley…**_

"She dished out some serious payback to Nyla for what she did to Lilly, but don't worry – Dagny didn't start it. She was trying to leave. He told me Nyla and her crew wanted to teach your sister a lesson, but it backfired on them. That woman will look like Frankenstein's monster for a while when they finish sewing up her face."

"But…Doppelganger? Who is that? And where was Dyson?" Bo asked in curiosity, grateful for the distraction while they waited.

He pulled away from her completely with that question, and sighed. He was worried about his father. "The young guy that works at the Dal, he's a Doppelganger. And Dyson was passed out drunk in his office. I think something is bothering him, unless…you don't think Dagny did that to him, do you?"

Bo sucked in a breath as she pondered the answer. _She wouldn't do that, would she? Doubt him into drinking himself unconscious…..no, no I don't believe that. That isn't like her. But…then what is wrong with Dyson that he would do that to himself?_ Her thoughts were interrupted by the increasingly tense expression of the shifter, and she gave him his answer, "No, I don't think Dagny did anything to him. But I'll talk to him later, unless you would rather talk to him yourself. He did seem…a little off when I talked to him earlier today."

A loud creaking distracting them, and they looked down the alley where the noise came from. "Bo?" Lauren had stepped into the alley and was looking around, then running towards the pair once she spotted them.

"Lauren!" The Succubus broke into a run and collided with her wife, wrapping both arms around her and spinning her around with joy. She stopped and pulled back slightly to kiss her deeply, bringing her hands up to hold her blonde head with both hands. When their kiss ended, they leaned their foreheads together for a moment and were both oblivious to everything going on around them as they caught their breath and the doctor assured her wife repeatedly in hushed tones that she was unharmed.

"There you are, Miss Thang! You need to come with me; I have some questions for you! And don't try your little tricks on me again; I need to complete my report. Some of us have a job to do!" Mark scolded the Valkyrie who had appeared after the blonde doctor.

"No!" Lauren pulled away from her wife to object, "She's coming with me to the clinic. She needs medical attention, and your report can wait until tomorrow!"

As Mark scoffed indignantly, Bo concurred with the doctor, "You heard the lady! And you know where your suspect lives! Tomorrow, Mark!"

When the shifter reluctantly agreed, Lauren made a suggestion to Bo, "I'll ride with Dagny to the clinic, and Mark can drop you off at the garage so you can get your car. When we're finished, we'll meet you at home. And then we can talk." The doctor gave her wife a cryptic serious look, suggesting something heavy had gone down in Valhalla despite the fact that neither of them were hurt. Or rather, neither of them was hurt anymore than they were when they entered.

The Succubus finally took a good look at her sister, who had remained mute the entire time. She looked physically, mentally and emotionally drained. The drying open wounds on her face had been aggravated somehow, and had oozed fresh blood and clear liquid. She clutched a bottle in her hand and stared off into the distance. Bo moved towards her and grasped both her shoulders, searching out her eyes. Once they locked, she gave her her heartfelt gratitude, "Thank you, Dagny. I never doubted you." The brunette pulled her sister into a brief hug, and then pressed the keys to the truck into one of Lauren's hands. "I think you should drive." She said in a whisper.

Lauren nodded, and kissed her wife again briskly. She took hold of the Valkyrie by the arm, and gestured to the truck with her head. "Let's go, Dagny. I think you might need some stitches."

The Valkyrie went along obediently, and climbed into the passenger seat. She sat silently as the darker blonde drove until she noticed they weren't traveling in the direction of the clinic. "Lauren, I think the clinic is the other way."

"We're going home; just in case Mark tries to meet us at the clinic and grill you about…whatever happened. Do you want to tell me about it?" she asked tentatively.

Her passenger shrugged, "Sure. Not much to tell, I guess. I was downstairs when Bo called, I tried to leave, Nyla and her goons tried to stop me. I didn't let them."

"I think there's more to it, Dagny. Mark seemed very determined to speak to you right now. I'm pretty sure he would just write off a drunken scuffle, especially if you were simply defending yourself." She nervously adjusted her grip on the steering wheel, hoping she hadn't pushed the young woman too far.

As they stopped at a light, Dagny looked out of the window at the people walking on the sidewalk next to the street. She envied how simple she imagined their lives must be as she gnawed on her lower lip before answering. "Earlier, I was talking to Lilly and Vex warned me to stay away from her. Nyla came in and saw us sitting together. I went downstairs, and didn't think anything of it."

"I see." Lauren said, looking at her until a honking behind her told her the red light had turned green. And she paid more diligent attention to the road as her mind processed the new information. "

"There's more…later, I came back upstairs to get a drink to take my medicine. I saw Lilly's face, and she wouldn't even get near me." She looked at Lauren, and saw that the woman knew exactly what she was talking about. "I went back downstairs and called Mark and asked him to come over and talk to Lilly, and then Bo called… I ran upstairs to leave. That's when they jumped me. Afterwards….as I was leaving, Nyla made a vague threat towards Lilly…"

 _ **Dagny's story of the Dal…**_

The Valkyrie looked around for any further attempts at stopping her departure from her attackers, and saw there were none. Nyla, coward that she was, had managed to drag herself up to the bar as Lilly fawned over her. When her eyes met Dagny's she unwisely goaded her, "Go ahead and leave, Valkyrie. There will be a next time, if you know what I mean…" she smiled with blood stained teeth and turned her eyes towards the Nymph ominously. She immediately regretted it.

Dagny was on her like a lioness on an antelope before she could even try to stand up fully to face her. The blonde grabbed one of her wrists and twisted it, pulling the Amazon's arm painfully up her back as she snatched a handful of the dark hair on the back of her head. She forced the abusing fae to face the bar, and slammed her face onto the top of it with all her might repeatedly. It was littered with broken glass from their fight, and she didn't know if the blood that painted the bar top now was from cuts or a broken nose, or both. She didn't care; she was in a righteous rage.

Finally hearing Lilly's pleas, she stopped and forced her captive to face her bruised and crying girlfriend, but the Amazon squeezed her eyes shut. Dagny insisted, "Look at her. LOOK AT HER!" Nyla did as she was told, now ugly crying out of fear and pain. She had a few less teeth, now, than she did just a moment ago. The Valkyrie put her mouth next to her ear and told her, "She loves you. I don't know why, but she does. And the next time she has an 'accident'… so will **you**. I can't promise you it will be fatal, but I'll do my best. I am born of death and darkness, but I'm trying _hard_ to be a good person!" She concluded with an obviously vitriolic statement in the ancient language of the Norse and releasing the woman, headed straight for the door. And unbeknownst to her, her eyes glowed ever so faintly.

"Wh-what did she say?…I don't understand!" Nyla sniffed out to her lover. Lilly simply sobbed and shook her head. She knew damn well, but wouldn't say. It was Devon who answered her.

"She said: Don't make me show you there are things worse than death." A slight smile touched the corners of his mouth.

 _ **Back in the Truck, right now…**_

"…I just…lost it – I beat her face against the bar until it was a bloody mess and her girlfriend begged me to stop. I don't even know why I did it, but it felt good. I threatened to kill her, or worse, next time, and I meant it. Is that who I am?" she whispered the question, more to herself than her companion. She hadn't really thought about what happened after the fight until now.

Dr. Lewis' first instinct was to tell her no, to explain her violent actions as an aberration born of her concern and adrenaline. But given what Acacia had told them about the looming Dawning Ceremony, she gave her honest answer, "I think that is up to you, sweetie. But don't think your actions are some sort of abnormal reaction given the circumstances or a psychosis– you only did what a lot of people wanted to do for a long time, including Dyson and your sister."

"Yeah, but they didn't see Lilly's face, Lauren. She was crushed; I hurt the person she loves. She looked at **me** like I was some sort of fucking monster, instead of the person who beat her! It made me feel like shit." She raised a thumb up to her mouth and chewed on the nail. _How can she love someone who treats her like that? And when I tried to stop it, she looked at me like I was the vilest person on earth!_

Lauren cleared her throat, she hadn't expected this much emotion or honesty out of the Valkyrie. "You can't blame yourself for that; Lilly has been in abusive relationships for centuries, from what Dyson has told us. It's one of the reasons she came to live here. And I talked with Bo; we discussed arranging an intervention to get Lilly some counseling. She needs to get some help or she will just continue to bounce from one unhealthy relationship to another. Now that Nyla is out of commission for awhile, I think we should do it tomorrow. Sooner is better than later."

"Well, good luck with that! Can't help who you love, right?" the Valkyrie dropped her hand and looked out of the window again.

"I think you should be there, too. You need to tell her how you feel sorry for losing control; how she made you feel like you are the one who hurt her. It's important we all let her know she won't be isolated and alone if she leaves her abusing girlfriend." Lauren coaxed her frankly but gently, and like usual – it worked.

"Fine; but I don't want to be there all day, and I don't see what good it will do." Her forgotten phone on the seat chimed and buzzed, and she nearly jumped at the shock. She lifted her leg and picked it up, "Bo texted that she is going to pick up dinner on the way home. Want anything in particular?"

"Chinese? How's that sound to you?" Laruen asked, and when the Valkyrie grunted assent and began texting, she added, "Oh, and tell your sister we are going home so she doesn't come to the clinic to look for us. And then we are all going to have a talk."

"Hurraaayyyyy." The Valkyrie sarcastically commented as she concentrated on relaying the information to Bo in her text.


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: Thanks to all you still reading, and especially to y'all leaving reviews. You keep me going. I'll try to update quicker next time. Had to do some plumbing work to do at the house and such.**

Dawning of a Valkyrie

Chapter 26: The Queen Claims her Crown

 _ **At the Dal…**_

Vex climbed down the stairs to Dyson's office to roust him from his drunken slumber after Mark called him. The dust-up at the Dal wasn't simply a criminal concern, but a political one as well. The Amazons were Dark fae, and Dagny was Unaligned. While that fact may have been irrelevant to the participants of the fracas – the news and video of it had gone viral and was quickly being taken out of context in the fae social media. It was being painted as a Dark fae attack on the Unaligned. A public display of justice would be necessary to stop it from escalating to become a rally cry for the Unaligned to justify further violence against perceived persecution. He wasn't here as a friend, or a concerned citizen – this was his official duty as the acting representative of the Morrigan on her orders.

The Mesmer strode over to the couch and began roughly tapping the shifter's bearded cheek, "Oi, Oi, wake UP your Ashiness! Duty calls!"

Dyson mumbled his irritation and shoved the Mesmer, never opening his eyes. Vex grinned evilly and used his Mesmer powers to force the drunken fae into a sitting position against his will. This action woke up the wolf in the shifter, evidenced by his eyes snapping open to reveal their yellow color as he snarled and displayed his fangs. "Vex – I'll kill you for this!"

The Mesmer released him, but not before explaining and apologizing, "Sorry about this, but it's important. Calm down! I need you to take care of your official business – Tamsin 2.0 was attacked in _your_ bar by _your_ cousin's girlfriend and three of her cohorts. It's caused a bit of a bother among the Unaligned. Evony is livid, and wants this quashed NOW!"

After the information sank in, and now able to control his own body, he jumped up to stand on shaky legs. " **Dagny**! Is she-"

"Whoa, take it easy big fellow!" Vex steadied him as he nearly lost his balance, "She won – no worries! The three Amigos are waiting upstairs for their recompense. The colony is watching, Dyson. Time to show them who is in charge!"

Dyson transformed even fuller, sobering himself somewhat at the news that Dagny was injured and the perpetrators were still nearby; at least some of them were. "Nyla…" he growled menacingly as he fisted a handful of the Mesmer's coat and glared at him, "…where is she?"

Vex laughed and clapped him on the back, "Oh…right – HER. Sorry to spoil your plans for a drunken vendetta– she is in Hospital getting her face put back together. And under the circumstances; best let me do most of the talking. Don't worry, I'll play up my outrage at my minions and will offer you my _sincere_ apologies and a concession on behalf of the Dark in exchange for clemency for their violation of the rules of a place of Sanctuary."

"And Nyla…?" The shifter asked finally, trying to get himself together.

"She is another story…Evony will punish her, for _all_ she's done – to Dagny and to Lilly. But, you have to play your part and put on a good show. The Unaligned have a representative upstairs stirring up things, trying to make a name for himself. Cocky lit'l bastard, that one. Bit of a weasel, too – used to be a Dark fae sycophant of Evony's. He's going to want something, but politically he has no backing, even if he does have the support of the Unaligned mob upstairs. This is a delicate situation."

 _ **Bo and Lauren's…**_

Dagny sat motionless until Lauren had finished stitching the largest cut on her face. The others needed only cleaning and adhesive butterfly sutures, but the young fae kept turning her head to look at the bottle on the counter next to her. Dr. Lewis grabbed her head with both hands, again, and turned her face back to look at her, "Hold STILL! I'm not finished!" she scolded with a stern look.

The Valkyrie sighed, but did as she was told without the usual snarky comment or sarcastic facial expression. After a moment, she asked the doctor, "What did you think of Valhalla, now that you've seen it?"

Lauren chuckled lightly as she worked, "Well, it was nothing like the luxury hotel Bo and Kenzi described. It looked more like Las Vegas – a modern interpretation of the Ancient mythological beer hall of Odin!" When her patient didn't say anything and stared ahead blankly, she realized she hadn't really answered her question. "I think…I probably would have liked Bo and Kenzi's version better!" She added with a smug grin.

"And, what do you think about Acacia, now that you've met her?" the blonde fae continued.

"Acacia…?" She shrugged and hummed, "She seems _exactly_ as everyone described her, I guess." She had finished tending her young charge and leaned back to study her, plunging her hands in her pockets. Her gaze was met by the blank expression once again. _Damn it, I did it again! She wants my opinion and I only gave her a comparison to what other people have said!_ Lauren looked at her intensely, and then gave her honest assessment, "She's intelligent, calculating, powerful and secretive. I think she's a formidable leader, and she definitely has long reaching goals she is working towards. She's a lot more like your mother than Stacey is; no doubt because she was Tamsin's mentor. I think she wants you to be a part of her plans, but her main concern is the Valkyrie as a whole. I don't think she is evil, but I'm sure she can be _brutal_ to anyone who betrays her or her people. And I think she is ruthless enough to turn on anyone, even **you** if you stand in her way."

Dagny nodded her agreement, and looked down at her hands on her lap. She wanted to ask Lauren what she thought about the Mistress' change in attitude after she drank the mysterious liquor, but the doctor's phone rang before she got the chance. "It's Bo!" Lauren explained before answering, "Hey babe!...What…why?" the doctor turned her back and walked a few steps away.

The Valkyrie took the hint, and grabbed her bottle as she headed upstairs announcing "I'm going to get cleaned up, Auntie Lo!"

Bo was seething after her call to Lauren, not for anything her wife had said or done – but because she was being pulled away from seeing her again so soon after the scare of possibly losing her in Valhalla. There were so many things she wanted to talk with her about, but Mark had called her with an urgent request to get to the Dal to stop a self-proclaimed Unaligned leader from instigating a fae clan war over the bar fight caused by an insanely jealous woman. The Dark fae detective was in conference with Evony about Nyla. Vex needed backup, and Dyson wasn't in any condition to intervene. She released her death grip on the steering wheel and splayed her fingers to stretch them at a stoplight near her destination. Glancing in the rear view mirror, the reflection of her glowing blue eyes met her gaze. _I need to calm down…or do I?_ she thought as she turned onto the street where the way station was located.

It was lined with cars and packed with people milling outside the doors and in the roadway. The Succubus parked as close as she could, and exiting the vehicle, made her way to the doors through the agitated throng. It was easier than she thought, since as she approached the noisy crowd parted for her like the Red Sea for Moses. And they treated her reverently as well, quieting their arguments and ceasing their minor physical scuffles. She caught more than a few murmurs of 'My Queen' as she strode purposefully to the doors of the Dal, the corners of her tightly drawn lips slowly tugging themselves across her face to blossom into a wide grin as the glow from her blue eyes lit her way.

Inside the Dal, Vex was doing his best to be a statesman and leader. It was a good effort, and might have been effective had the Unaligned pretender to the throne not have been there and he had more input from Dyson. "Listen…LISTEN! The Morrigan will punish the ring leader, and the acting Ash has accepted this judgment in exchange for a concession from the Dark!" Some in the crowd cheered, others booed, and many began shouting for justice for the Unaligned. The Mesmer turned to Dyson with raised eyebrows in a silent request for assistance. The shifter was seated on a stool due to his more fragile condition and pulled a hand down his face as he expressed his agreement, for all the good it did. They were all behind the bar, the Mesmer, the wolf, the Unaligned agitator, and the three remaining Amazons lined up like frightened sorority girls arrested for the first time. They had anticipated some sort of retribution, but had not imagined this kind of angry lynch mob reaction. And in fact, no one had.

The self-proclaimed speaker for the Unaligned spoke up, and whipped the crowd into a frenzy, "OH, so the Dark are giving the Light a concession for a crime committed against the Unaligned! Where is OUR concession? Where is the justice for the poor woman attacked by the Dark in a Light fae establishment for the crime of being Unaligned?!" the tall fae grinned, half drunk on his own power as the noise in the bar grew deafening. An inferno of rage between all three clans of fae was a spark away from breaking out, and the one who spoke for the Unaligned had poured the gasoline and was holding the lighter.

As soon as she walked through the door, everything grew quiet. The Succubus was in awe of how quickly the situation de-escalated once she entered the bar. _Well, I guess they are waiting for me to throw in my two cents…_ She stopped and stared at the bruised and bloody Amazons and the trio of 'leaders' behind the bar, in shock. Vex wore a relieved expression, and looked like he wanted to express his gratitude for her intervention but was holding back for the sake of political correctness. Dyson stared at her sorrowfully apologetic for his condition, and –" **Ryan**! So you think YOU speak for the Unaligned, do you?"

" **Bo**!" he exclaimed, surprised not that she had shown up at her grandfather's former establishment but at the reaction of the people inside when she did make her entrance. "I, uh, I didn't think you were interested in politics!"

She strode behind the bar and pushed him aside, "I'm not – I'm interested in justice!" Walking up to the largest of the Amazons, she addressed her, "So, Big Boo, why don't you step forward and tell everyone why you and your sisters attacked an Unaligned fae in a place of Sanctuary?"

The Amazon looked to her fellows for help; obviously she wasn't the leader of their group and felt hesitant to speak for them. Bo was counting on that, and assumed she would simply fall back to telling the truth since she was not used to being the brains of any operation. The blonde Amazon with her hair in ponytail spoke up for her, "She dos-"

"Shut up, Blondie! No one is talking to you!" The Succubus snapped at her and physically dragged the hulking Amazon to stand in front of the bar and address the crowd.

In a last ditch attempt to get out of speaking to the angry patrons, she turned her eyes to her acting Leader, Vex, in a silent appeal. He denied her, looking at her bruised black eyes and crudely taped broken nose in disgust.

"You did this to yourself, luv! And you made a huge mess for the Morrigan to clean up. Tell us _all_ why!" he gestured with one arm at the gathered audience.

"She…it wasn't because she was Unaligned! We didn't even **know.** She was putting the moves on our Sister's girlfriend! We couldn't stand by and let a Valkyrie steal an Amazon's woman!" she spat out with indignation, and her sisters groaned as murmurs broke out among the patrons. The fallacious moral relativism of refuting one prejudice and justifying their violence with another was not lost on them, or the audience.

"I have a witness that says you attacked her because she was **Unaligned**!" Ryan bellowed, stepping closer and gesturing to a scraggily faced man in the crowd. He looked around, then stepped forward to the bar cautiously to the calls of 'liar' from some in the throng, adjusting his baggy brown coat nervously.

The Succubus stood in front of him from behind the bar, arms crossed, and waited, "So, just a guess – I'm assuming you are Unaligned." He nodded and she continued. "Well? Tell us what happened."

"I…I…" he stuttered and stared into her glowing blue eyes. She reached out and lightly touched his hand, pushing a bit of Succubus charm into while cooing at him to tell the truth. "I wasn't here when it happened. I read it online and told Ryan." Ryan held his face and turned away at this revelation; his chance to grab power among the Unaligned evaporating with the reaction of the mob.

The crowd broke out in jeers, and the Succubus grabbed the man and sucked a fair amount of chi from him as punishment before releasing him with a warning never to stir up violence again. "Consider yourself lucky for getting off so easy! Now get the hell out of here!" Bo laughed, and it lifted the mood of the bar patrons as they applauded and whistled their approval. She turned to the largest Amazon. "Wow - so you don't hate the Unaligned, just Valkyrie. Nice try, but that doesn't make you any less of an asshole. Oh, and honey…she wasn't 'putting the moves' on Lilly! If she were, they'd still be rolling in the sheets right now!"

"How do you know?" the discredited Unaligned 'leader' Ryan spoke up.

"Because she is my **sister** , and she is perfectly capable of getting what she wants. Runs in the family." Her statement was greeted by catcalls and whistling from the crowd. She winked at the Loki and studied the wolf, still sitting on his stool silently as the events had unfolded.

Vex noticed this, and spoke up "Right, right! Quiet everybody! Dyson, the Dark have violated your place of Sanctuary. Nyla will be banished by the Morrigan, what punishment do you propose for the remaining three?"

The shifter sat up and studied them, then spoke thoughtfully, "How about cleaning the restrooms every weekend for a month? Is that acceptable to the Dark?"

"It is. Done!" The Mesmer grinned and grasped his hand to shake it. When one of the Amazon's began to object, he mesmered her into slapping her own face and everyone who saw that laughed heartily.

But the ever resourceful Loki wasn't going to let his chance at leadership go so easily and insisted, "That's all well and good – but what about the Unaligned? Don't I get a favor from the Dark for what happened to one of my own?"

The Mesmer sneered at him derisively, "You weren't one of them last week! You were sniffing around Evony's skirt until she made me her second-in-command! You get _nothing_ , but Bo can ask. She's always been Unaligned by **choice** , not out of political opportunity!" Vex smiled and the gathered fae expressed their approval of his diplomacy. "So, what do you ask of the Dark on behalf of the Unaligned, Bo?"

The Succubus was taken aback for a moment, she only wanted to put an end to the violence and the one thing she would ask of the Morrigan was impossible because Evony couldn't violate her Blood Oath. Caught up in the moment, she couldn't think straight and was dumbstruck as Dyson spoke for her, "The Morrigan is holding a Valkyrie-"

"Don't go there Dyson. You know what you're about to ask is impossible!" Vex warned, afraid they might lose control of the crowd again.

"Let me finish! If she can't see her, can you get a DNA sample from her, since you are the acting Morrigan tonight?" the shifter asked, looking at his former lover forlornly.

"I can. Bo?" the Morrigan's representative asked. She nodded, biting her lower lip, as she stared at the wolf silently. She knew now why he had drowned himself in liquor this afternoon as he once again made a sacrifice for her happiness. The Mesmer seemed oblivious to the moment between the two fae and instead announced, "Right! The matter is settled between the Dark, the Light, and the Unaligned! Next round is on me!" As the Dal patrons celebrated, Dyson turned from Bo and gestured to his bartenders who waited at the end of the bar. Lilly wasn't among them.

Dr. Lewis and Dagny didn't wait for Bo to bring dinner, as the Succubus told them it may take her some time to sort things out. Lauren cooked up a hurried dinner, and as they ate, they discussed what Lilly had told Dagny at the Dal as well as Dyson's stories. Talking about what happened in Valhalla would wait until Bo came home. Lauren was clearing away the dinner dishes when her wife burst through the door. "Bo, is everything alright?"

"Everything's better than alright!" she beamed at her wife and wrapped her arms around her, pecking her on the lips. "Did you find out about Stacey's father?"

"Stacey? Oh…uh…not exactly. She said she didn't know but it **is** possible." The door shut, and she saw Vex striding into the kitchen. "What's go-"

She was interrupted by the Succubus pressing their lips together, this time moving her own mouth more purposefully to allow her tongue to gain access to her wife's. When she pulled away breathlessly to look into her light brown eyes and tell her the news, the Mesmer pulled them completely apart by spinning Bo around to face him.

"Hope you don't mind, but my turn Mrs.!" He pressed his mouth against the surprised brunette's lips with both hands grasping her head tightly. "MMMMmmmmm wwwuuuuuhhhh!" Bo pushed him away roughly after his surprise kiss with a grin and playfully slapped his face. He laughed and then noticed Lauren's confused expression, "My dear, your wife is a hero! Saved my ass today, and stopped a bloody riot!"

"Vex! What are you doing here?" the blonde human finally got out. This was not the reunion they had planned when her wife returned home.

"Oh, right – I need a swabby…thingy from you. Got to go pay a visit to the caged bird Evony has locked up for you." He waved an arm aimlessly through the air before putting his hands on his hips, unaware of how enigmatic his words were to the doctor.

Bo explained for him, "He's going to get a DNA sample from Stacey for us!" She gave her wife a wide, toothy smile that exposed her unbridled glee as her arms were spread in invitation.

This time it was Lauren who initiated their kiss, oblivious to the company of the Mesmer to whom they had both been speaking. She plunged her hands into the Succubus' dark hair and pulled her head closer while Bo's arms wrapped around her body. She allowed her hands to drift down the blondes back until they reached the rise of her buttocks and she hesitated. Lauren's moans encouraged her to continue downward and grab both cheeks and pull their hips together while their kissing grew more intense. As they melted together, Vex cleared his throat loudly to spoil the moment, "Uh….hum….Ladies, **ladies**! As hot as it is watching you two dry hump each other in your kitchen - I do have things to _do_ tonight!"

The couple broke apart breathlessly, each wearing a grin of embarrassment. "Oh, sorry Vex. I'll get a cheek swap for you." Lauren sheepishly told him, as she extricated herself from her wife's embrace and started walking out of the kitchen. She turned around suddenly and asked hopefully, "Oh, unless you know how to draw a blood sample? That would be preferable."

"Oh, luv, I know how to draw blood alright. The old fashioned way, if you take my meaning. But she is not to be harmed – very strict orders." The Mesmer informed her with a withering look.

The doctor gave him a smug, tight lipped grin and dropped her hand she had unconsciously raised gripped in a fist, "Right…sorry. Cheek swap it is!" She dashed up the stairs to get the necessary supplies. After Dagny's medical emergency, she kept it upstairs – just in case.

"Thank you, Vex. I owe you for this." Bo told her friend sincerely.

"Naw, It's nothing for the Morrigan pro tem! But where's Tamsin 2.0? I have to ask her a favor." He looked around the apartment. It was still reasonably early, and he couldn't imagine the young blonde was already in bed.

"I…I guess she's upstairs in her room." The brunette ventured hypothetically. She hadn't even thought of her where her sister was until her guest brought her up.

Vex bounded up the stairs without explaining, and Bo followed hurriedly after a moment. He hadn't mentioned wanting to talk to her sister this evening, and she was both curious and suspicious of his intentions. By the time she reached her sister's door, the Mesmer was already conversing with her, "Tonight is the night, my dear! Dyson needs your help _now_ and you can make a big dent in what you owe him. Just smile and flirt with the drunks, you'll make enough in tips to pay your bill off in no time!"

"Uh uh. I am going out to have fun tonight, Vex. Not to work. This might be the only chance I ever have." She told him mater-of-factly, as if she were discussing the weather and not the possibility that she could be a mindless underfae soon.

"In that case, you need to get over there or you will die in his debt – he really needs you now. He's swamped over there! Besides, you better learn to enjoy yourself no matter what you are doing or you will be a miserable bastard for the rest of your life! First, help Dyson until closing time, and then…" he trailed off cryptically with a raised eyebrow, hoping to pique her interest with a hint of a carrot.

"…and Dagny isn't going anywhere! We need to talk." The Succubus eyed her sister up and down in surprise. The Valkyrie had showered and changed into more stylish tight jeans and a button up blouse rather than her faded and torn denim dungarees and baggy t-shirt. The young fae had even applied some makeup, although it couldn't conceal the evidence of her recent fight at all.

By this time, Lauren had walked up and watched the exchange silently. With the happy news, she hadn't had the chance to warn her wife of the Valkyrie's current behavior. It was…off, and she suspected the young blonde had partaken of the strange liquor Acacia had given her. The doctor couldn't quite find the words to quantify her demeanor, but no matter – Bo was about to find out for herself.

"Sure Bo, what's on your mind?" Dagny asked amiably, without a hint of anger or sarcasm.

"I…why don't we go downstairs and sit down?" Bo suggested, and was immediately shot down.

"Because apparently Dyson needs my help _now_ – and I owe him. And then I am going to have some **fun.** So, say whatever you have to say or save it for tomorrow." She held her hands up in encouragement.

The brunette looked to her wife quizzically, and was met with a tight-lipped expression and raised eyebrows. The doctor glanced into the room at the bottle sitting on the dresser and then back to meet Bo's dark brown eyes. "WHAT did Acacia _**do**_ to you?" she hissed.

" **Nothing**! She told me to pull my head out of my ass, get my shit together, and not let people tell me who I am." The Succubus ignored her as she pushed past both her sister and the Mesmer and made a beeline for the strangely decorated bottle. As soon as she picked it up, Vex took it from her grasp greedily. He, too, had noticed the bottle as soon as it earned the Succubus' attention.

"Forget about working for Dyson, Dagny! I'll pay whatever you owe and then some for this – if it is what I think it is!" he pulled the cork and smelled it with an expression of delight.

"Not for sale; but feel free to have some to satisfy your curiosity." The Valkyrie grinned, as he took as sip and savored it.

"Uh, what's going on here?" Bo asked, confused not only about the bottle, but why Dagny owed Dyson, why Vex was hinting at rewarding the Valkyrie, and just what had transpired in Valhalla – not to mention her desire to hear Dagny's version of the fight at the Dal. She wanted answers, and she wanted them now.

"I'm going to work off my debt to Dyson – he needs help at the Dal. And then…" the young fae turned from her sister to look at Vex expectantly.

"…and then I am going to show you how to have a good time, luv! Think of it as a 'thank you' for helping me with Balzac!" the Mesmer finished his promise and handed the corked bottle back to Bo. He walked up to Lauren and took the package from her hands, "But I will fulfill your request first, of course!"

"Cheek swabs, sterile gloves, stabilizing solution and alcohol wipes. Instructions are in the bag. Thank you, Vex." Lauren beamed. The Mesmer's endorsement of the Valkyrie liquor quelled her remaining misgivings about it.

Vex took it from her and pecked her on the check, "Thanks mum, is there a note inside saying how much you love me and how I make you so proud?"

"Hhmmm, maybe. But I think you already know!" Dr. Lewis hummed out with a smug smirk.

He gave her a wink before grasping hold of the Valkyrie's arm, "Right, let's go. I'll drop you off at the Dal, take care of this little chore, and pick you up after closing. Then – I have a little job for you and I promise you'll LOVE it!" the Mesmer was escorting the young blonde out into the hall when Bo finally regained her senses and grabbed Dagny's other arm to stop her.

"Wait, Dagny. I know you must be upset, but please don't run off like this; I want to talk to you – to explain…" Bo haltingly began. _She must hate me for this! I need to tell her how Tamsin and Acacia both worked for Hades, and how important it is that I make sure Acacia and the Valkyrie aren't still isn't in his camp!_

"I **was** pissed off – I'm not now. It doesn't matter anymore -I found Valhalla; I found my own kind. I can go there _anytime_ I want. But right now, I'm going out. Don't worry; I'll be back in time to make it to the intervention tomorrow. And you can talk to me all you want - I promise." She smiled genuinely at her sister for a few beats, then gestured to Vex that it was time to go. "What's that all about, Vex?" she asked the Mesmer, referring to the brown paper bag the doctor had given him as they descended the stairs.

"Do you care?"

"No, not really. Let's go raise some hell!"

And then they were out the door and gone. "They grow up so fast!" Lauren quipped. _I can't believe she just walked out of here against Bo's wishes without a fight! Oh, that's just great! Now_ _ **I**_ _get to tell Bo what Acacia said to her about Tamsin and Hades…_

The Succubus turned to face her wife, "What the hell just happened? Do you have any idea what they were talking about; Dagny owing Dyson, Vex owing Dagny, that business with Balzac….and WHAT intervention?"

"Oh, uh – no…no…no…and we are having an intervention for Lilly at the Dal at one in the afternoon tomorrow. We need to convince her to get some counseling." the blonde human ticked off her answers.

"OK…I am in total agreement with you on that one. I'll be there. Especially since Dagny ' _intervened_ ' with Nyla for me. And now she's gone." She raised a free hand up in surrender and clapped it down to the sides of her leg. "There went my plans for the evening – now what?"

"Well, are you hungry?" the Succubus gave her wife a hurtful look, and the doctor rolled her eyes and shook her head at her own slip, "No, I mean…we had dinner already, but I saved you some. I didn't know how long you would be out, or if you have had time to eat."

Bo smiled slightly, "I could eat. And you can tell me all about Valhalla!" Remembering the bottle she held, she scrunched her face and added "What the hell is this, anyway?"

 _Huurraaayyyy!_ Lauren thought. _Well played Dagny, well played._ It was a foregone conclusion to the doctor that her wife would be in a foul mood once she heard what the Mistress of Valhalla had said and done. It was always easier to deliver bad news when Dagny was acting as the lightning rod to Bo's outrage with her snarky quips.


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: I'm gonna try to finish this up quickly, I do a few requests for other stories. Never got any before, so, what the hell. I'll try most things at least once! I plan to continue unresolved story arcs in a new story with a new focus. Thanks for reading/reviewing & following/faving. Next up some sexy times, promise.**

Dawning of a Valkyrie

Chapter 27: She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not

 _ **Bo and Lauren's…**_

"That heartless BITCH! Aaarrgghhhh….I wish I could have been there – we would have had a rematch! And it wouldn't have ended in a draw this time, I promise you! How could she talk like that to Dagny?! And holding you prisoner until Dagny showed up…" Bo was pacing to and fro as Lauren watched from her seat on the couch. She reached out and picked up her wine glass took a sip as she calmly waited for the Succubus to finish venting. She had taken her time describing the revamped Valhalla and the Valkyrie to delay getting to Acacia's confrontation with Dagny and the fact she had orchestrated the meeting and used her as bait. She hoped the alcohol would relax her wife and put her in a better. It didn't work. _She is so protective of Dagny and I that she can't stand for anyone to treat us badly, even if they never hurt us physically! Those Amazons better thank whatever gods they pray to Dagny won that fight or they would be six feet under right now!_ Lauren thought to herself.

"Bo, sit down. You are going to wear out the floor with your pacing. You shouldn't be surprised by what she said or did. Acacia is a lot like Tamsin; it's uncanny." The brunette stopped and stared at her incredulously. "Don't tell me you believe Tamsin would have been any less harsh with her own daughter!" the doctor flatly stated.

" **Yes**! I am telling you Tamsin would never be so cruel!" her agitated wife told her emphatically with her arms raised, palms up, to emphasis her belief.

Lauren dropped her head to hide her smug, tight lipped grin she affected to stop herself from laughing in the face of her wife's delusion. It was only partially effective and she snorted out a single chuckle through her nose. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth, hoping against probability that her wife hadn't heard it.

But Bo did hear her, "What? What's so funny about that? Did Acacia do something to you, too?!"

Lauren raised her head and smirked at her, "No, she never laid a hand on me! But I can easily imagine Dagny's mother saying things like that to her! Oh babe, you are remembering Tamsin through the prism of how she treated you! You're not considering how she really was since she was hopelessly in love with you until the day she died!"

The Succubus felt as if the air was sucked out of the room, and she dropped her arms. No one – not one of them had ever mentioned aloud that Tamsin was in love with her to her face save Dagny. And that conversation ended in a slap fest. Bo never admitted it with her words either, when Tamsin told her or even as she lay dying and asked her to take care of her baby. She was crushed now because Lauren's statement of the fact made her believe the Valkyrie would rather die than live with the heartache of a love no one acknowledged. "That's why she wouldn't let me save her! She told me she was in love with me, and I told her she was confused. She was always asking about love after she was reborn; and she died thinking no one believed she _could_ love and so wasn't _worth_ loving." she stated flatly.

The doctor launched herself off the couch and hugged her tightly. She had only said what she did in explanation for her laughter, not to induce any kind of guilt trip the Succubus was apparently taking, and it took her by surprise. _Why is she so shocked; we've always know about Tamsin? I guess she didn't think about it after we got back together! She needs to come to terms with this to have a healthy relationship with her sister!_ "Bo, no – that's not true! She KNEW we all were of how much she was capable of love; how much she did love, and how much we loved her! It was _her_ choice to go; **she** made that decision to stay, and then she chose to leave. Before…it happened - she could have left and gone back to Valhalla with Acacia. She could have _**ruled**_ Valhalla! Or simply move away and kept being her fun loving self! And you don't even know if you **could** have saved her! Come on, sit down!"

Lauren coaxed her wife to sit on the couch next to her and held her gently as she lightly pressed a few kisses on her face. She smiled at the Succubus until she got over the shock of her fallacious epiphany and waited for her to speak. "That day you talked to Evony at the Dal…when she got sick - I tried to apologize for denying her feelings. She kept changing the subject to Hades, and I let it go. I have to say – I was relieved she didn't want to discuss it. We just…went on like it never even happened." She closed her eyes in regret.

Her wife nodded, "Her pride was wounded, Bo! She couldn't stand a reminder of that. She didn't want people to pity her." The blonde snickered, a bit surprised that her wife remained oblivious to the true character of Valkyrie and the brown eyes snapped open to look at her in disbelief. "'C'mon, Bo – **she** was the one who wanted to forget about it! The Tamsin _**I**_ remember wasn't one who enjoyed long discussions about feelings. I bet she was _equally_ relieved you dropped the subject!"

"Yeah, I guess you're right about that. But I think she stayed because she felt guilty for making that deal with Hades in the first place. I told her, _many_ times - I forgave her for that. She wouldn't leave until it she made amends for what she had done. And I wanted her to stay, too. She promised she would be here with me, through Dagny…" She placed a hand on the blondes that was caressing her neck and bit her lower lip.

The human chuckled; the fae could be so dense sometimes to her mortal mind. "She stayed because she loved you – loved all of us! You're a Succubus, Bo – you crave the love people have for you, even if you aren't in love with them! People can't help BUT to love you. Still, no matter what Tamsin said – Dagny isn't Tamsin. I have to admit, they are a lot alike in many ways. And the way you two are co-conspirators sometimes; it already reminds me of you and Tamsin's high jinks! We need to give Dagny room to grow into the Valkyrie she wants to be, and then Tamsin _will_ be here for us. Trust me."

"I do!" Bo said eyes soft as she and leaned forward to kiss her tenderly. They embraced each other and Bo whispered into her wife's ear, "You always know what to say, Lauren."

"Mmmm, well even Acacia said I must be doing something right!" she patted her wife's back lightly.

The Succubus pulled away, now brought back to the present with the mention of the Mistress of Valhalla. "I agree. At least Dagny will never long for a family or have to ask about love - she sees it every day! "

 _ **The Dark Fae Compound…**_

"Gin! Pay up, big guy!" Stacey grinned and placed her remaining cards on the bed, then held her hand out to the security guard across from her.

Steve groaned, she won far too many times to be coincidence or luck. "Fine. But I think you are cheating!" he pulled a miniature liquor bottle out of the cargo pocket of his pants and handed it to her roughly.

"I won't say I am, and I won't say I'm not – but I will say a Valkyrie that won't cheat for a bottle of booze is no Valkyrie!" she told him sardonically, then drank down the shot of vodka with a smack of her lips.

"Let's play a different game. I want a better chance at winning." He grumbled.

Stacey smiled at him – it was as grim as the gallows. "No, this is my game. And I want you to keep playing!" she lunged forward and kissed him. He leaned into her and deepened the kiss, placing a hand behind her head as they both introduced their tongues to each other. Suddenly, she pulled away and whispered, "Happy? I gave you a consolation prize!"

"Yes, but what do I have to do to win the grand prize?" asked in a whisper, his deep tenor voice sending shivers down her spine.

"Keep me distracted." She pressed her lips against his again, but they were interrupted by the door unexpectantly opening.

"Steve? Why are you here? You're off the clock! Don't you have a home to go to?" Vex sneered as he entered the room. "If you're playing spin the bottle, you need a bottle. And more people!"

"Vex!...sir…sorry, eh…" he scrambled off the bed and stood to face the Mesmer. Once he collected himself, he realized the intruder was no allowed to be in the room. "I am her guardian; I just came by to keep her company. Bu you shouldn't be here. The Morrigan's orders."

"For all intents and purposes – tonight I am the Morrigan! And I only need a DNA sample from Slim Shady here; that's all. Not breaking any deal, orders, or Blood Oaths." He sneered, and showed the towering security man his official paperwork.

"Uhhhh…Ok, I guess. But I have to stay if you are here to make sure you don't talk to her about what's going on outside of here." He caved very easily to an official document and the bold demeanor of his superior.

"Why do you want my DNA? Are they going to clone me…Or- do you think I committed a crime? Is this about the parking tickets…? Wait…never mind." She giggled, "I forgot – none of that will matter when-"

"SHUT UP!" Vex and Steve both shouted. But it was Vex who continued, "Gods woman, I don't **want** to know what the Valkyrie have planned for you! Damn it! You gave an oath of silence over the deal! It's not worth my life, or his, or YOURS!"

"Sorry." She hung her head.

The Mesmer sighed, "'salright. It's for a friend who did a service for our clan."

"I don't have any friends." She stated sullenly. "And the ones I used to have – I betrayed."

Vex softened, thinking of how Kenzi had coaxed Bo's extended family into welcoming him into their fold when he was at the lowest, most powerless and friendless point in his life. "Well, chin up! I think you might do now. They've been asking to see you! Do right by them, and they will move mountains for you."

"You can't tell her that! Now I'm going to have to report that to Evony." Steve sulked.

"Then I'll be forced to report you two were playing table hockey with your tongues on your leisure time!" the acting Morrigan shot back.

"Maybe…we can forget about this conversation."

"That is the most intelligent words that ever left your lips, STEVE!"

 _ **Bo and Lauren's…**_

"Let me pour us some wine, and we can talk about Acacia." Lauren reached for the wine, but Bo put a hand on hers just as she grasped the bottle. "What is it?"

The Succubus eyed the other bottle on the table; the one Dagny brought back from Valhalla. "Do you think…is it safe?"

"Oh, I…I think so. Acacia took a drink herself, and Vex seemed to want it very badly. I'm sure Dagny tasted it as well, and that might be why she was acting so – different." The doctor explained.

Bo leaned forward and picked it up, pulling the cork and smelling it tentatively. The smell of newly fallen snow and a hint of spearmint mixed with honeysuckle wafted into her nose ahead of the biting smell of grain alcohol. The Succubus tilted the bottle back slowly and took a sip. It was smooth and refreshing despite the apparent high alcohol content. She waited a few seconds, but didn't feel any different than before she had taken a drink. Thinking she needed to drink more to feel its effects, she brought the bottle to her lips again but was stopped by Lauren's hand on her arm.

"Just a sip! She was pretty explicit about that!" Bo nodded, and corked the bottle as she set it down. "Well, how do you feel?" Dr. Lewis asked, her medical curiosity could not be contained even as she filled the wine glasses while watching her wife carefully.

"I…I feel good. I mean, not different or high or drunk, just….confident. Like I can handle any problem that arise and everything will be alright. I can't explain it." She leaned back and placed an arm across the back of the couch, and when she noticed Lauren's confused gaze she grinned. "Take a drink for yourself if you want a better explanation, I'm not as good with words as you are, doctor!"

"Noooooo….I think I'll stick to wine tonight." She wanted to observe Bo's behavior without the influence of whatever it was her wife just drank.

"Ok, so you were right about Acacia not harming Dagny. Do you think she is taking on the mission of stopping Hades?" Bo encouraged as she moved the hand on the back of the couch to play lazily with the blonde hair of her wife.

 _ **At the Dal…**_

After Vex dropped her off, Dagny quickly learned the ropes behind the bar. The crowd had thinned out somewhat after Bo had ended the dispute between the clans, but the remaining customers were larger in number than anyone could remember at the Dal, in a celebratory mood and quite thirsty. Since she had no time to learn to mix the many exotic fae cocktails, Dyson had put her on beer duty. And to her surprise, she did enjoy her work. She flirted with the friendly customers, snarked at the rude ones, and roughly ejected the unruly drunks. As a Valkyrie, she was a natural for convincing the regulars who kept a running tab to pay up when the total became unreasonable, and the shifter expressed his gratitude as midnight approached and last call was announced by Devon accompanied by ringing the bar bell three times.

"I'm glad you're here; and I'm sorry Vex made you help me tonight after everything that's happened today. Still, it's good for people to see the Amazons didn't take the Mickey out of you." He sat back down on his stool with a groan. He was pretty much sober now, and as his headache faded his heartache lessened as well. _I have to admit it's good to have her company right now. It's almost like having Tamsin back, distracting us from our problems._

"You need me now, and so here I am. I pay what I owe, Dyson. But I really don't give a shit about what anyone thinks of me." She turned her attention to the last customers. Vex would return soon, and then the real fun would begin.

The Mesmer finally did return just as the servers ushered out the last stragglers with the ubiquitous calls of "You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here!" The Valkyrie was curious as to what she could do to help him that would also be considered a reward for the favor she did for him earlier.

Devon and his fellow bartenders called in on short notice gave their farewells and left as Dyson was sorting out the credit card receipts. He chuckled, "It was a really good night for our bottom line! There are a lot of phone numbers for you on these, if you are interested, Dagny."

"I'm _so_ not. But thanks, anyways. I'm sure most of them, if not all, are in hopes of getting me to introduce them to my sister." She stated bluntly.

"No worries my dearie, we are going to make you the center of attention tonight!" the Mesmer cooed. He wrapped his arms around her from behind as she was putting glasses into the sink. "Let's go!"

"Vex, how **dare** you! You are an _almost_ married man!" she giggled as she turned her head to look at him.

They all laughed lightly at the playfully flirtatious banter until a call from the door leading to the downstairs spoiled the mood. "Dyson?" All eyes turned to Lilly's bruised and tear stained face in the doorway. "Can you take me home?"

"Lilly! I..ah…Vex can drive you home. He and Dagny were just leaving, anyways. We'll talk some more tomorrow." Dyson told the shattered Nymph gently.

"Of course, luv! I don't mind!" the Mesmer backed away from the young Valkyrie to find his keys on the bar oblivious to the fact that she and the ginger bartender were staring at each other. Lilly looked undeniably disgusted, and Dagny sorrowful and contrite. "Right, blondie! Shall we fly!"

The Valkyrie saw her expression fall into terror; and spoke out immediately to make the discomfort she felt in empathy go away, "No, Vex. I need to stay here and help Dyson clean up. You can drop her off and pick me up after." She broke their eye contact and focused on washing glasses. But even though she could no longer see the broken woman's expression, Lilly's pain continued to make her uncomfortable. She could _feel_ the fear and loathing directed towards her in her very being, and she suspected it must be related to the power of Valkyrie.

"I am not an Uber driver! Her apartment is on the way, Dagny! Why would I make two trips?!" the Mesmer was confused, and eager to continue his evening plans after running errands for others.

" _Just_ _ **do**_ _it Vex!_ I owe Dyson and if you take her home now you won't owe me anything, and you won't have to do me any favors!" she slammed her soapy wet hands on either side of the small sink in frustration and closed her eyes with her head hung down. Even if it meant an end to her plans for a fun night out, Dagny couldn't bear to feel the dread and see the silent prosecution in Lilly's eyes for one more minute when the ginger had been nothing but kind to her before.

"Go on Vex. Lilly doesn't live far, and Dagny'll be done when you get back." The wolf softly spoke and intervened on her behalf, and for that – both the Valkyrie and Nymph were grateful.

The Mesmer tsked and gestured to the sullen waitress. There was no use fighting this if everyone else was against him, and he cursed the women silently in his head for their mysterious and overly emotional behavior. Lilly rushed to catch up with him as he walked out of the door, and it did seem odd to him that she was so willing to drive home with him alone. After all, he was rude to her and the Valkyrie was the one who had been friendly and in his mind had done her an enormous favor by beating her abuser senseless.

Dagny let out a breath she had been holding, and grabbed a bar towel to dry her hands. She looked into the shifter's eyes, and saw that he understood the situation without her having to explain it. "Thank you, Dagny. She's still upset about what happened to Nyla, but she doesn't really hate you even if she feels that way now. She'll realize that soon, especially if all goes well tomorrow."

The Valkyrie let out a sigh and began drying off glasses, "I hope that everything does go well tomorrow, Dyson, I do. But it might be better if she continues to hate me."

"Why would you want her to hate you?" he asked and walked up to stand near her.

She put away the glass she was drying and turned to him while trying to put her feelings into words. "Because Vex saw us talking earlier and said she was looking at me like…I don't know…like she was… _ **in**_ to me or something. I didn't see it, but it seems likely that Nyla did. Being ignorant about love is an inherited Valkyrie trait and I don't need her mooning over me when I can't love her back. It isn't fair to either of us!"

"Just because Valkyrie are ignorant of the ways of love, doesn't mean they are incapable of feeling it." he chided gently.

"Just because I am capable of feeling something, doesn't mean I _want_ to feel it. I will make _**damn**_ sure I never fall in love – believe THAT!" she shot back with one hand on her hip, and dared him to challenge her on the logic of her thinking or the veracity of her conviction with a raised eyebrow a a scrunch of her nose that spoke volumes.

 _And there is Tamsin all over again!_ he thought and rumbled out his amusement in a deep chuckle, "Dagny, if it were only a choice we could make life would be so much easier! But never mind, what is the favor Vex was going to do for you? Maybe I can make it up to you."

"Ohhhhwwww, he was going to take me out and we were going to have a good time! And no offense, Dyson, but you aren't always the most fun person to be around." She moaned.

"I can be fun!" he gave her a 'pearl clutching' gesture of mock outrage. "Pour yourself a beer, and as soon as we finish up I'll put a song on the jukebox. It's time you learned to dance!"

 _ **Bo and Lauren's…**_

"I think we should consider it fact that Acacia knows we have the Brisingamen." Lauren and sipped her wine. Contrary to her expectations, Bo had listened raptly and suggested they talk with Acacia after Dagny's Dawning before falling silent. The blonde took a last sip of wine and set the glass down before leaning against the back of the couch and staring into the Succubus' deep dark eyes under eyebrows furrowed in thought. "Bo…?"

Bo shook her head lightly and apologized, "Sorry, I'm trying to process all of this. But she is **absolutely** right about one thing: Dagny will probably see Jack in her Dawning, and if they ever do meet – he _will_ try to get in her head. I would have never thought of giving her such a brutal demonstration of how easy it can be for someone to manipulate you if they know a lot about you."

"Bo…she's having me watched…"

"Mmmm, yeah. That is creepy…but if she wanted to hurt you, she had the perfect opportunity. I think that is all about of her plan to get close to Dagny, in her own crude way. Acacia isn't exactly my biggest fan, and she tried some underhanded shit to get Tamsin to leave. But she wanted Tamsin to leave of her own free will, and not by getting rid of us. Sounds like that's exactly how she got Dagny to find Valhalla. Maybe she would be less secretive if we offer her our trust."

"OK…I agree with you about that. But now what do we do? I mean, about her spying on us? And you haven't told me what happened at the Dal!" Lauren leaned forward and touched her wife's arm to illicit some sort of emotional response out of her. And she got one - but not what she had expected.

The Succubus gave her wife salacious look with her brilliant blue eyes and smiled coyly as she climbed slowly onto her lap. "We can talk about that later! We aren't going to resolve anything tonight, and tomorrow you will have your DNA sample. Let's take advantage of our alone time!" She began opening the buttons of her wife's blouse.

"Bo! Why don't we go upstairs?!" Lauren husked out.

"Because it's been so long since I was overcome with desire and made love to you on the couch! Dagny is going to be out all night, I'm sure!" She brushed aside the curtain of blonde hair that hide the side of Lauren's neck and began kissing just below her ear.

"But…what why did they need y-…ohhh…"

"Mmmmm…." Bo hummed and chuckled against her neck as she pushed a bit of charms into her wife, "…they needed me to take charge. I like taking charge sometimes!"

 _ **At the Dal…**_

"Shouldn't we be Texas two-stepping to this song? Seems like that's how people dance every time they play this song, and that's at least five times a night on country night." Dagny smirked at Dyson as they danced. He had chosen a slow waltz that was on the most popular selection screen, and even though he was no fan of country music he thought the lyrics fit his mood. And by her quips, he suspected the young Valkyrie had picked up on that as well.

"The waltz is the best I can do, and it's easy to learn. I don't know how to two-step, but maybe Vex or Mark can teach you how." He twirled her slowly and spoke again when they were face to face once more and he saw her sour expression. "OK, they don't dance. But I've seen Devon glide ladies around the dance floor to every type of song and I'm sure he'll teach you. He's a good dancer, and he seems to like you a lot."

"Dyson, are trying to set me up with him? Because, we had this conversation already – not interested. In anyone. **Period**." The eye on the injured side of her face twitched slightly as she tried to force her bruised facial muscles into expressing her distain for his presumed proposal.

He leaned back and laughed, "No, not at all! I was just suggesting that you open yourself up more to the people around you. Your sister won't keep you so sheltered anymore, now that you have proven you are able to handle yourself. You should get out and meet people. And even if you don't fall head over heels in love at first sight, it wouldn't hurt if you let yourself get close to people outside of your family."

She looked away and considered what he was telling her. Before she replied, she sang along with the familiar lyrics, " _In the midst of the music, I tell her I love her and we both laugh – because we know it isn't true."_ The Valkyrie her green eyes back to gaze into his, "Maybe you should take your own advice, Dyson."

"Maybe I've tried before. Maybe, it didn't work."

"You're a good man, and under different circumstances I _might_ have given you a chance. But you slept with my mother – and **that** is a deal breaker!" she kissed him on his bearded cheek and grinned wickedly. She couldn't control herself when she saw his shocked expression and began laughing.

"I should have never told you that!" he growled.

"I'm sorry…sometimes I can't resist teasing people even when I know I shouldn't." She gave him a contrite expression, and laid her head on his shoulder as they danced. "Why did you tell Bo you slept with my mother if it you didn't want to be with her?"

"I don't know – I guess I felt guilty about it; even though Bo and I weren't together anymore it felt like I was cheating on her." He shrugged, as he had never considered the reason himself.

"Maybe it would have been better if you and Tamsin loved each other. At least I would have you as my father." She whispered.

"But you _do_ have me." He kissed the top of her head and pulled her close.

The bells above the doorway jingled, and the pair turned to see that Vex had burst into the bar. "Dyson! What are you **doing**? You slept with her mother for crying out loud!"

The couple broke apart quickly as the shifter expressed his distain at the Mesmer's playfully accusatory exclamation, "We're just dancing, Vex! And who told you that, anyways?" his eyes darted to Dagny but her wide eyes and mouth pulled exaggeratingly downwards in confusion as she shook her head was all the assurance he needed to be convinced she wasn't the informant.

"Whut…don't look at _her_! **Everybody** knows, Dyson! I personally overheard Bo telling both Kenzi _and_ Lauren about it on separate occasions years ago!" He marched into the room already irritated at his detour only come back to an even more emotional scene. "And YOU…" he pointed right in her face, "…need to be the cold-hearted Ice Queen I _**know**_ you can be if you are going to help me tonight! So drop all this lovey-dovey shit and let's go!"

"Calm your tits, Vex! We were just sharing a kind of father/daughter moment!" she rolled her eyes with a gleeful grin as she realized the Mesmer hadn't abandoned their plans for the evening despite what she said earlier and hurried to gather her belongings.

"Have fun! I'll see you tomorrow!" Dyson called as she put on her jacket to leave.

"Thanks, I will!" the Valkyrie shot back, but before she left she hesitated in the doorway and asked the shifter a question. "Dyson, did Bo ever tell you _she_ slept with Tamsin?"

He was put off by such a strange question, and wasn't sure if the young Valkyrie knew of her mother's tryst with Bo or was simply guessing in hopes of confirmation. Of course, the rest of them all _knew_ , but it was never discussed, so he settled on an honest and literal answer. "No, she never told me that. Why?"

"You tell me, Dyson." The pained smile on her face informed him she was well aware of what happened, and she didn't ask the question in reference to her mother.

As the door shut behind the pair, the last chorus of the song ended:

' _I don't see how you could eeevveerrr be….anything but mine.'_

The wolf locked the doors and began turning off the lights. _Touché Dagny, touché. How the hell did you turn the tables on me?_


	28. Chapter 28

Dawning of a Valkyrie

Chapter 28: Carpe Nostrum

"Bo…" Dagny swallowed with some effort given the dryness of her mouth and throat, "…I know I promised we would talk. But not at this hour of the morning woman!" she was laying on her side in her bed and pulled the blanket over her head. Succubus had opened the curtains of the window to let in the sunlight that her closed eyelids couldn't block out completely.

"We don't have to talk right now, Dagny. But you **do** need to get out of bed, or you will miss the intervention. You made a promise about that, too. It's almost 11:30!" A wicked grin spread across her face; this late morning awakening reminded her of the time when it was just her and Kenzi against the mad, mad world of the fae. On any given day in the old clubhouse, it could have been her, Kenzi, or both of them in the Valkyrie's position right now. That is, if she hadn't fed after drinking too much. She plopped down on the bed next to her prone sister and yanked the covers down to look at the single green eye cautiously cracked open to gaze back at her in contempt, "'C'mon, get up! I took pity on you and brought you some remedies for your… _condition_!"

"Fine!" the blonde groaned, rolling over on her back she tried to sit up clad only in a tank top and her underwear. The pounding in her head grew more intense with the effort and she lay back down immediately. "I think I'm devolving but it's Ok - I'm ready to die now."

Bo slapped her arm lightly and chided her, "That's not funny! Don't talk like that! Here…" she reached behind her to the nightstand and retrieved the huge glass of water and a couple of pills. "… Take these and drink this – all of it."

The Valkyrie propped herself up partially on one elbow, "What is it?"

"Pamprin and water. Then we move on the stage 2." Bo smiled at her questioning look, "Trust me – I have a lot of experience with hangovers after an all-nighter!" Dagny did as she was asked and laid back down on the bed. Her eyebrows furrowed as her mind was trying to process what her sister had just told her, and Bo noticed. "What? What is it?"

"Nothing! I just can't imagine you staying out all night drinking and…I just always think of you as being with Lauren." She concluded, hoping Bo hadn't caught on she was about to delve more into her night out than she felt comfortable discussing. At least – the parts she could remember at the moment.

"Riiigghhhtttt…I get it. In your mind, Lauren and I were always together since long before you were born, even though you know that it isn't true. And you can't imagine I ever went out drinking all night and let strippers drape themselves all over me. Not like I'm a… **Succubus** or anything!" she gave the young blonde a toothy grin after she rolled her eyes.

"Whoa, whoa…wait a minute – who said _anything_ about **strippers**?" she raised a hand in objection.

"Sorry – exotic dancers!" the brunette was gleeful now and tortured her sister in the most schadenfreude laced way, "And to answer your question – your _face_ told me! You don't have to be a wolf-shifter to smell the exotic body oils all over you, and the glitter sticking to your cheeks is a DEAD giveaway!" she giggled as her sister groaned and clapped a hand over her eyes.

"You win, Bo – I went to a str-….exotic dancer club!" she pulled her hand away from her face, "I suppose you want to talk about THAT now!"

"Don't you? Must have been one hell of a night! And we have a bit of time before you get your next dose of Kenzi's patented hangover cure, which I was kind enough to bring you!" Dagny tried to roll her eyes but it was too painful to attempt and ended up just draping a forearm over her face. "Please…I don't need details…unless you want to tell me!" Bo coaxed. After talking with Lauren the night before and what Vex had said, she figured the Valkyrie would be more apt to comply if she felt indebted to her. And it worked like a charm.

"Alright, alright…guilt trip people much?!" the Valkyrie caved in with a huff, but kept the arm over her eyes. The light in the room still hurt her eyes, but the shame she felt was more to blame for her actions. "So, we closed down the Dal at midnight, and Vex and I left. I didn't know what he had planned…"

 _ **Dagny's Story…**_

"Where are you taking me, and what exactly do you want me to do? Because if it's some sort of fae fight club – **not** happening!" the Valkyrie glared at him, irritated at his vague answers to her questions.

"NO! Alright, look – I am opening a club. I need staff, and I want the best! To get the best you don't place an advert for the unemployed – you steal them from your completion! We are headhunting dancers tonight; and I can't have Mark getting jealous over nubile young fae sitting on my lap, again, so…it was you or Dyson! Hardly a choice…" he tsked at her as they pulled into a parking lot filled with very expensive cars.

He drove past the parked vehicles and pulled up to the door of the club, where Dagny was surprised when a smartly dressed valet opened her door and offered a hand to help her out. Despite having smartened herself up for the evening, she felt entirely out of place with her stitched up face and jeans and looked to the Mesmer after she exited the vehicle. He was handing another valet his keys and straightened his tie as he caught her gaze. Vex read her expression easily and hurried over to her, taking her by the arm, "No worries, deary – you are fine! Trust me!"

As soon as they entered the club, his assurances rang true. The bearded yet bald manager at the door recognized the Mesmer immediately and ushered them in past waiting patrons. Vex whispered something in his ear, and he snapped his fingers at a passing waitress. She took them directly to a private room in the back of the club, the Valkyrie looking around in awe. A dark-haired woman with a bob hairstyle clad only in a skimpy bikini stopped her with a hand on her shoulder as the other ran a finger down her neck to the opening of her blouse, "Hey, cutie! Would you like me to dance for you, later?"

Dagny stared at her mute and slack-jawed, but Vex answered for her, "Too aggressive, baby! Take it somewhere else!" he shooed her away with a wave of his hand and tugged his companion along. The waitress led them to a mirror lined room with crushed red velvet couches and a couple of small tables and the Mesmer ordered a bottle and two glasses. The Valkyrie dropped herself down on one and balled her hands up into fists on top of her thighs. She hated the feel of velvet since she was a child and had the habit of biting her nails down to the quick – but she felt relieved to be out of the overly sexualized atmosphere of the club.

"Now what?" she asked nervously. "I don't have any money to pay them, and I think my sister might be a better choice for this job! It's kind of creepy…" she looked at him shyly.

"Just relax and enjoy yourself, Ok! We're mates, right? _Buddies_? Going to a club together is normal! I'm not some kind of pervert…well, never mind! I'm not here to watch you have sex with anyone, alright! You are the perfect customer to judge dancers! You are nervous now – and that's good! But I'm sure you will be your normal cold and bitchy self soon, and that's better! And Bo is **too** easy to please – you don't have to be a good at what you do to baptize the converted! Not to mention the fact that Dr. Hotpants would kill us both if I brought her along." Vex told her pleadingly. Suddenly, the waitress showed up with their drinks and an olive-skinned woman dressed in high heels and a short silk robe.

The woman looked as frightened and shocked as Dagny. "The Valkyrie!"

"The sex demon! Vex, what is this!" she jumped up off the couch, hands still clenched into fists for an entirely different reason.

"Hold on! Hold on! You two _know_ each other?" he puzzled with his arms outstretched, ready to Mesmer the women apart if need be.

"She attacked me!" they both said at once, and the blonde fae immediately relaxed somewhat, as she saw the dancer begin to snicker. "What's so funny?" _She thinks I'm the one that doubted her unconscious! Good, she won't try anymore of her charms on me!_ The Valkyrie thought.

"I'm sorry sugar; you must be here to celebrate before your Dawning! I never meant to scare you. Offering the Invitation is only a part-time gig for me, and I didn't expect to see you here." She gave Vex a confident smile. "I got this. Send in the next dancer."

"No cheating! You know whut I mean!" he gave her a stern expression, and his young companion was immensely relieved by this.

The Qarinah didn't want to burn any bridges with such a high-ranking Dark fae, and took the tray of top-shelf tequila and its obligatory accoutrements to the couch and sat down. She patted the spot next to her, and the blonde woman slowly and cautiously sat next to her. "My name is Saia. Have you ever done tequila shots?" A shake of a blonde head in answer. "Ok, let me show you…"

 _ **Present time…**_

"Happy now?" Dagny asked as she pulled her arm away and ventured a grim smile in the Succubus' direction.

"Hmmm, for the moment. Here, stage 2: eat some dry toast then drink this beer." She handed a small plate and a bottle to her sister who felt recovered enough to sit up and accept them.

Between painfully chewing mouthfuls of the crunchy toast in her dry mouth, she questioned her sister, "So…I feel like shit…because I drank too much…and you bring me…MORE alcohol?"

"Yeah, the ages old remedy called 'Hair of the Dog that bit you!' It will ease your hangover symptoms. But the real cure is time, and the only way to prevent it is not to drink too much, young padawan!" the brunette advised in a quip.

"Thank you Obi Wan, for your words of wisdom." The Valkyrie shot back before washing her toast down with the cold beer. If nothing else, it made her scratchy throat feel better.

"All part of your training! Now – what happened next…I know I said you didn't have to give details, but you skipped over all the best parts completely! Tell me about this rival Succubus, I'm curious." Bo lay down on her side and propped her head up on a hand supported by her arm. Other that her mother, the Bacchus, the six fingered Qarinah that was killed by Taft, and the devolved Styr she had never heard of another sex fae in the Colony. _We seem to be pretty rare in this area…maybe because they don't want to compete with me; Aife seemed pretty territorial._

"She's not a Succubus, Bo, she's a Qarinah. Don't you want to talk about Acacia and Valhalla?" Dagny stated flatly and tried to change the subject.

"No, Lauren told me. A Qarinah? Ohhh, even better! Soooo, what did she do to you?" the Succubus was intrigued by how a different species of sex fae seduced their prey.

"Nothing! We just drank tequila shots as Vex sent in one dancer after another – chicks and dudes. It was…uncomfortable – embarrassing really; but after a few shots and Saia talking to me…well I guess it was kind of fun playing hard to get. Vex gave me a stack of dollar bills to tip them as I saw fit, and if he liked them – he handed them his business card when they left." She lifted herself off the pillow to ask, "Is there more to this cure? I still feel kind of shitty."

"There's more…if you have more…" Bo narrowed her eyes slyly.

"Oh I get it now; scoping out your competition in the colony, huh." _Thank the gods she isn't asking me about my sex life…I was just as eager to meet one of my own kind._ The Valkyrie relaxed and told her about the rest of the evening. "OK, she just poured drinks and talked to me while other people danced. I definitely had way more than her, and I was feeling pretty good. As I watched the dancers, she would occasionally whisper in my ear…and I am not going into details of what she said because it was definitely X rated. Saia wasn't the most physically attractive, but she was the most sensual person in the room. Vex was impressed with her even though she never danced and asked her to come to breakfast with us to talk salary." She gave her sister a goofy grin and waited for the promised stage 3 of the hangover remedy.

"So…that's IT? She must be a rank amateur if she let a sweet,innocent, and powerful young Valkyrie slip through her fingers without at least trying to set up a feeding! She didn't try to corner you outside? Or in the restroom?" Bo queried, mostly in jest but with some curiosity. The Valkyrie's reaction was not jovial as memories came surging back into her pounding head. She squeezed her eyes shut and groaned as she sank back down to lay on the bed. Her sister, however, was gleeful – at first. "She DID!" She giggled, then imagined just how the sex fae might have seduced her sister, "Wait…she didn't …force you, or use her charms to seduce you…did she? Tell me, Dagny!" she said as she shook the blonde by the shoulder none too gently.

"AAAhhhhhh! My head! Damn it, Bo! Alright already!" When the Succubus stopped her torture, the blonde sighed and opened her eyes, sitting up with some wincing. "I've been thinking…you were right – I should talk about how I feel about you turning Stacey in and going to Valhalla w-"

"We did. You said you _were_ pissed off - but not anymore. I already told you I'm sorry about that; and I know I should have trusted you more. I'm over it; you're over it – let's move on!" The Succubus neatly shut her down using what she knew about Valkyrie nature. _Time to give Dagny some tough love of my own because now I_ _ **really**_ _need to know – bitch better not have used any shady tricks on my sister!_ "Now, let's discuss those hickeys all over your neck and how they came to be there!"

The Valkyrie sighed, there was no stopping Bo if she thought someone might have hurt someone she loved. "We went out to eat…some truck stop restaurant open all night. Vex brought along Saia, one of the managers and a couple of other people, 'key personnel' as he called them."

 _ **Dagny finishes her story…**_

The Valkyrie stared at her plate as she pushed her scrambled eggs around not much interested in eating them. She was attempting to put up the appearance that she wasn't paying any attention to the olive skinned dancer deep in conversation with the Mesmer. Whenever she snuck a glance at the woman, it seemed as if her dark eyes where already focused on her as if she were waiting for the Valkyrie to do or say something. One of the other dancers, a stunning blonde with enormous breasts kept trying to flirt with the Valkyrie and was completely ignored. Dagny squirmed in her chair, quite drunk and even more sexually aroused. Even though she had seen many semi-nude attractive dancers, all she could think of was the woman seated at the table she had never seen in a state of undress. She hoped the sex demon hadn't noticed, but didn't risk a look to check. Instead she heaved herself away from the table and out of her chair as she excused herself and made her way towards the bathrooms.

Her less than graceful exit earned the attention of everyone at the table, and Vex giggled, "Gods, her sister is going to KILL me for this! Oh bollocks! I hope she doesn't vomit in my car…"

Dagny groaned and hurried along into the women's restroom. At least she hoped it was the ladies room, and looked around to make sure there were no urinals along the wall. Once she was sure she wasn't mistaken in her rush to escape she leaned heavily on the sink and ran the cold water, pouring it over her face with one hand. She took a deep breath to slow down her heart rate right before the door slammed open and the blonde dancer strutted right up to her.

"Hey! Message received! Your place or mine baby?" she pressed herself against the Valkyrie still bent over the sink.

Mercifully, before Dagny could marshal a response the door burst open again and the sex demon marched into the room. She grabbed the clueless amateur by the shoulders and pried her off the obviously distressed young fae. "Beat it, Barbie! She's not interested!"

"Damn it, Saia! Can't you ever give the rest of us a chance? And my name's not Barbie!" she left in a huff.

"Are you all right, sugar?" she asked tucking the hair that had fallen in front of her eyes behind an ear.

"I'm…I'm fine!" the blonde panted and pulled her hand down her wet face. To convince the sex fae, she turned away from the sink and faced her.

"You don't _look_ fine. Is there something I can _do_ for you?" the Qarinah asked coyly, her voice dripping with innuendo.

"No…I just need…" Dagny launched herself at her tormentor and kissed her clumsily.

Saia broke the kiss and spoke soothingly to her as she guided them into a stall and pressed the Valkyrie against the closed door with outstretched hands on her shoulders as if trying to minimize their physical contact. "Shhh, settle down! I can help you, but you know what I am – and I am going to need something from you in return."

"Fucking sex demon…" Dagny mumbled and grabbed fistfuls of her jacket to pull Saia close enough to kiss her forcefully but with much more finesse than before.

 _ **Present time…**_

"And…I think you can work out the rest for yourself." Dagny concluded. Her sister looked dazed, but relieved that the Qarinah hadn't used her powers to coerce her sister.

"Huh. So, she never even touched you, and you made the first move? I have to meet this woman." Bo asked with the tone of a concerned parent asking about the person dating their child.

"Well, you'll get your chance tomorrow. She said she would be at my Dawning Ceremony. And I know what you are thinking – it's not a date! Its part of her job, er…part time job. Whatever." She rolled her eyes and folded her arms over her chest to signify she was done with the conversation.

There was a light knock at the door that interrupted the awkward silence as Lauren peeked into the room. "Hey, hon! I'm leaving now to help set up. You two need to get ready or you'll be late!"

"OK. Nice scarf, Lauren! Do you mind if I borrow it?" the Valkyrie teased, pointing at her own bruised neck and looking at Bo out of the corner of her eyes.

"Oh…uh…Bo can get you another one. I have to go!" she ducked out of the room and closed the door.

"Wait a minute…" Dagny began tapping her pursed lips, "I do remember Vex helping me upstairs…opening the door…wow! Can't unring that bell!" the Valkyrie snarked. "Quid pro quo – isn't that your game?" The Valkyrie laughed at the Succubus who was biting her lip, afraid of what her sister might ask and shocked the young fae remembered. "Don't worry, Bo! I'm not like you – there are some things I don't **want** to know!" She got out of bed painfully and began gathering her clothes for the day.

"I only asked you because…professional curiosity!" the Succubus explained.

"Whatever you gotta tell yourself, Bo!" the Valkyrie laughed light-heartedly.

"I didn't give you stage 3 of the hangover cure!" the brunette chimed in before her sister left.

"What is it?'

"Sunglasses!" standing up, she snatched them off the nightstand and held them up triumphantly.

"Lame."

"Show some gratitude – you did this to yourself! Was it worth it?" Bo asked with a grin.

"It so _**totally**_ was! Do you and Lauren have any regrets about last night…" she paused in the doorway and raised her eyebrows.

"Not going there." Bo walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder, suddenly becoming more serious. "But I want you to know that I do love you. You are the only family by relation I have left, and I am so grateful that you are in my life."

"Uh…uh huh…" the blonde fae cleared her throat nervously. "Sure, Bo. Ummm, thanks. I better get ready to go; Lauren will skin us both if I'm late." She scuttled away quickly; her clothes bundled in her arms.

"What did I say?" Bo slumped down to sit on the bed. Valkyrie behavior continued to baffle her. _Was it because I didn't answer her question? Maybe I should have just told her I don't regret one second of last night…_

 _ **Bo's Story, on the couch the night before…**_

"Wait…what happened at the Dal?" Lauren pulled herself together and pushed the Succubus off of her neck. Now she was _really_ curious; Bo hated politics.

"Nothing! Just a bunch of assholes trying to use the fight between Dagny and the Amazons as an excuse to start a clan war. And that idiot Ryan was their leader! He's making a political move to become the leader of the Unaligned; but I shut him down tonight." She managed to finish opening her wife's blouse and pull it off her shoulders while she was talking when the blonde finally noticed.

"A clan war?! Bo…" she tried to put her shirt back on but the Succubus stopped her by grasping her wrists. She looked sternly into her wife's eyes, "…shouldn't we be discussing a possible war, among other things? And what about your sister, aren't you worried about her?" Dr. Lewis was now fully against the Valkyrie potion, thinking it may have some dangerous side effects.

"There isn't going to be a war – the Unaligned don't follow him, he just got them fired up over nothing. I took care of it, and I got you the DNA sample we needed! Ah, Ah….no!" she added when she saw the suspicious look in her wife's eyes, "No one was hurt! I used some diplomacy!" she grinned and succeeded in pulling the hindering shirt completely off the blonde while she was distracted.

"And Dagny?" Lauren husked, trying to keep Bo and herself on topic as the brunette was slowly tracing the latitudinal line from between her breasts down to her belly button with a single finger as her blue eyes followed its journey.

"Hmmm, she probably worked her ass off for Dyson – the crowd at the Dal was overflowing out into the street! And right about now – I'm sure she's out with Vex rewarding herself for her hard work. And I want my reward, too!" she began peppering kisses and dragging her teeth along Lauren's collar bone as her finger continued its journey beyond the navel of the abdomen below her. With her free hand, she slowly dragged a bra strap across the shoulder that supported it onto the bicep of the arm that reached out to push her back yet again. "What?" her blue eyed gaze nearly bored into her wife's concerned brown eyes.

"So you're not worried about your sister at all?" Dr. Lewis asked deliberately, and with apprehension for both of the sisters.

Bo sat back and sighed, "YES! Of course I am – I am _always_ worried about her!" She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. After she let it out slowly through her nose, she opened her eyes again, and they were deep brown. "I can't keep her hobbled forever, Lauren. No matter how benevolent your captivity, sooner or later a prisoner resents her captor. And I think Dagny already resents me for it. You said it yourself – we have to give her some breathing room!"

Lauren was not sure what to make of her wife's articulate answer, and it didn't seem as if Acacia's liquor had an adverse effect on her reasoning or decision making ability. _Cleared her mind and calmed her doubts, as advertised. But I am not liking this horse analogy…_ "Hobbled…?"

Bo chuckled, "Sorry, something Lou Ann says sometimes! She really relates everything to horses. And she and Dagny really do click – you should see the pair of them around the horses!"

"So…how do you feel now?" the doctor asked, looking her wife up and down.

The Succubus gave her a stoic smile, acknowledging her concern. "I feel fine. I feel good, I told you already. I feel like we are going to have a baby soon, and everything will change. I feel like we need to take advantage of the time we have now to make memories we can tell each other in stories later when we are too busy to have a moment like this! They'll always start with 'remember when…'"

The blonde smiled wistfully, knowing exactly where she was coming from, "…remember when we didn't have kids, and could walk around the house naked?"

"…remember when we could make love all night instead of sleeping whenever we can and waking up every couple of hours to feed the baby?" Bo played along, understanding now that her wife had only resisted her advances out of anxiety over the mysterious drink she had.

"…remember when we could just pick up and go out without worrying about a babysitter?" Lauren quiped.

"…remember when we couldn't keep our hands off each other long enough to make it upstairs and made love on the couch without worrying about being interrupted?" the blue eyes returned, and this time the blonde responded by kissing her deeply. As they slowly pulled apart just a fraction of an inch, Bo asked in a whisper, "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes. I am sure. Let's make some memories to hold on to!" she knew her wife wasn't talking about having sex on the couch, but her answer to that was also affirmative as she kissed her again and began tugging the Succubus shirt out of her trousers.

Bo leaned forward and eased them down to lay on the sofa slowly, but things escalated quickly after that. The doctor was trying unsuccessfully to pull the brunette's shirt over her head, so the Succubus obliged her by sitting up and finishing the job herself as the blonde moved on to unbuttoning her trousers and peeling them down from her waist. Once she lay back down on top of her wife, Bo tried kicking them off completely as they both giggled like teenagers. The blonde grew impatient, and snuck a hand in between their bodies to allow her fingers to worm their way under the waistband of the Succubus' panties.

She reacted immediately and ceased her fruitless efforts to remove her pants, "Ohhh…you cheated!" Bo breathlessly managed to exclaim.

"That's not cheating…" Lauren cooed shifted her body to one side as she pulled the brunette down and topped her, "…THAT is taking control! I like to take charge sometimes, too!"

And that she did, as her fingers discovered the extent of her wife's arousal and the brunette tilted her head back and attempted to suppress her moans by biting her lower lip. Their first round of love making was over quickly, and they used the break in between to slowly and more effectively undress each other.

Afterwards, they held each other and discussed the things all soon to be parents do – prospective baby names, hopes for their child's future, which one of them the think the child would favor in looks and behavior. As Bo lazily stroked her shoulder, Lauren drifted into happy dreams and her steady rhythmic breathing soon seduced her wife to join her.

They were awoken by noised outside the front door, followed by Vex pushing noisily into the room and laughing mockingly with his tongue hanging out, "AAAaaaaaa HA HA HA! Get a ROOM already!"

"Oh **shit**! _VEX_!" the Succubus scrambled to grab clothes off the floor and managed to pull on Lauren's blouse just as the Mesmer ducked back outside and hastily shoved a drunken Valkyrie into the apartment.

"Mercy! I saw NOTHING! And I brought you some presents!" He held up the bag with the DNA sample and set it on the end table near the door. "'Ta, luv!" he shut the door behind him as he left, leaving a blinking and drunken blonde trying to work out where she was and what was happening. The alcohol she chugged at the club finally caught completely up to her after the Qarinah siphoning off her energy had lowered her tolerance considerably. Her blouse was buttoned all catawampus and there were fresh bruises on her neck as well as lipstick marks.

"Vex…this is the wrong house…" she slurred after she had looked around in confusion through her unfocused eyes and saw the pair of naked women on the couch. Lauren was clutching some of the discarded garments over her nakedness, and Bo stood flabbergasted clad only in her wife's blouse that was still unbuttoned and held closed by one of her fisted hands. The Valkyrie swayed for a moment, then turned pale. "Lady, I have to use your bathroom!" She stumbled quickly to the stairs and tripped on the first step, resuming her climbing efforts on all fours.

"Oh…Dagny…" Lauren groaned out, managing to convey both disappointment and pity as she sorted through the clothes to get dressed and help the young fae.

"Lauren – let me. This is my area of expertise, have you forgotten young Kenzi?" she smiled as she pulled on her underwear.


	29. Chapter 29

Dawning of a Valkyrie

Chapter 29: It's All I Can Do

Bo and Dagny took her truck to the Dal, the Valkyrie more than happy to let her sister drive her now battered vehicle to the intervention as she dozed in the passenger seat. By the time they arrived, most of the participants where already there and Lauren met them at the door with a short and stout white haired woman wearing horn rimmed glassed. "You're just in time. This is Dr. Weems, she'll be facilitating the intervention. Go ahead and find a seat, and when it is your turn to speak, she'll call you forward."

Dagny grunted, and looked for an empty table that was furthest away from where Lilly would be seated through the sunglasses she was wearing. She didn't want to be here, but a promise was a promise and her only hope was that she was never called on to speak. After all, everyone else here seemed to be much closer to the Nymph than she ever was.

But her hopes were crushed when Dr. Lewis noticed her stylish eyewear, and lifted them partially off her face to gaze into the bloodshot green eyes with a disapproving frown. "And you WILL NOT be wearing sunglasses when you speak to Lilly!"

"The light makes my head hurt." Dagny moped, squinting in pain.

Lauren narrowed her eyes, "Going out and drinking yourself senseless the night before is no excuse for rudeness, even if it is only intended to ease the pain caused by your own stupidity! I won't have it; this is too important. They WILL be off your face when you talk to her! Is that CLEAR?!"

The Valkyrie opened her eyes and swallowed the lump in her throat. "Crystal." Now she was in the dog house, by herself. Once the doctor was convinced of her commitment to comply with her commands she let the glasses fall back into place, gave her wife a peck on the cheek and a parting glower at the hungover blonde, and whirled around on her heels and followed the older doctor towards the table where Lilly was taking a seat. "Sssshhiiittt! She is _pissed_ at me!" the Valkyrie hissed to her sister.

Her sister answered in a whisper, "Well, you shouldn't have made fun of her this morning! She might have given you a Get Out of Jail Free Card for your first drunk and disorderly offense. But you only made it worse - you didn't even wear a scarf after asking for hers, so she knows you were messing with her! What kind of idiot does that?" She grabbed her sister by the arm and guided her to a booth that was against the back wall. Bo was beaming with tight lips and snorted a chuckle through her nose as she tried to keep a straight face on this solemn occasion.

"Ha ha ha." Dagny stated sarcastically as she dropped herself onto the bench seat and slid her rear across it to lean her back against the wall, "I'm so glad you find my predicament so amusing!"

"I am _trying_ to help you, but you are your own worst enemy! Honestly, whenever you are on trial it's like your mouth is working for the prosecution! There is only so much I can do without getting myself into trouble. Now scootch!" she pushed the Valkyrie's legs that were laid along the bench so they were bent at the knees to make room to sit beside her.

Before her ailing sister could ask why she didn't take the empty bench, Devon appeared with a tray with a variety of drinks and took a seat across from them. He took off his stray hat and set it on the bench next to him, "Hey, thanks fer coming. I brought us refreshments! Take yer pick." he took a tall glass of ice water and a large mug of black coffee and placed them in front of the Valkyrie, "Thought ya might want these after going out with Vex. I can getcha somethin' else, if you like."

"Oh…my hero!" Dagny gushed and drank half the glass before sipping on the steaming coffee. "Marry me, cowboy!" she smiled at him in gratitude for his thoughtfulness and insight.

He blushed at her and turned away, mumbling something inaudible. Dagny seemed oblivious to his reaction, and indeed nearly everything going on around her until her sister elbowed her bent leg on the bench seat out of view of the young man. She had her head tilted back against the wall and Bo suspected she might be falling asleep, but looked up and glared at her sister behind her glasses when she was struck.

The Succubus had seen the young bartender's aura, always dimly burning in the presence of an attractive young woman spike sharply and burn hotly when the Valkyrie spoke to him and it continued to maintain its elevated level. She leaned forward and murmured menacingly to the blonde through clenched teeth, "Stop. Teasing. Not. Funny!" the brunette turned her eyes purposefully from her sister to the blushing and fidgeting young man looking anywhere but at the object of his desires. When she looked back at her sister, she found that the blonde had followed her gaze and understood the intention behind it. The Valkyrie threw her hands up in submission and leaned her head back against the wall.

Bo turned her attention to her wife, Dr. Lewis, who began by stating the purpose of the intervention and turned things over to Dr. Weems who laid the ground rules and just how things would proceed. Her sister however heard very little of what was said after Dyson stood to speak first, followed by many other family and friends. Lilly was trying her best to defend her lover as every person implored her to consider how they cared for her and worried for her safety. There was much discussion on therapy and the nature of love, and Dagny was awake after that when Bo had surreptitiously slapped her sharply on the leg without turning around when her snoring gave testimony about her state of unconsciousness. She awoke with a start and looked around the room as if nothing happened, and her eyes settled on Vex and Mark sitting across the room. Mark was paying attention to the speaker and had his back turned to her, but the Mesmer was leering at her and mimed a soundless laugh when he noticed she was looking at him.

She frowned and flipped him off for just a second, because her movement had caught her sister's attention and she slapped the offending hand down. The Succubus scanned the room quickly to make sure no one else had noticed the gesture while Vex put a hand over his mouth to keep himself from laughing out loud. Bo shot him an evil glare that promised reprisal if he persisted and he turned away with haste. She, in turn, stared at her sister and hissed out, "You need to stay awake! You are going to be up, soon! Do you know what you are going to say?" It suddenly dawned on her that this topic should have been discussed beforehand. But it was too late; Dr. Weems called the Valkyrie's name and asked her to step forward.

"No, I don't know. Fuck it, I'll wing it!" she whispered back as she stood next to the Succubus who had gotten out of the booth to let her out. Bo snatched the sunglasses off of her head with a frown, and the Valkyrie winced at the sudden brightness of the room.

She stepped up to the table and haltingly apologized for her behavior, told how sorry she was for her violence and how wrong it was for her to beat the Amazon the way she did even if she only did it to protect her. She said she should have just left when she had the chance, and not returned to beat Lilly's girlfriend into the hospital. She said everything she imagined Lauren would want her to say – using 'I' statements so as not to put blame on anyone else and show she took responsibility for her own feelings and actions. She concluded by relating how she felt like a brute afterwards, and she begged Lilly's forgiveness.

It was all for naught; the Nymph jumped up with a tear-stained face to attack her with accusations and harsh words, "YOU! **Liar**! You are worse than she ever was to me! She isn't evil – you are! It's your fault she is banished! She never-"

"That's enough, Lilly! That is not how we agreed to talk to each other!" Dr. Weems interjected, as Dr. Lewis went to stand next to Dagny. The Valkyrie had closed her eyes and pursed her lips as she slowly tilted her head back against the verbal onslaught. Lauren touched her shoulder cautiously, keenly aware of the danger signs that her young charge was trying desperately to control her temper. And for her calming efforts she was rewarded by a loud exhale through her nose and a nod. The green eyes opened and looked into her own anxious brown eyes.

"It's OK, Lauren." She said softly and gave the doctor a tight lipped and grim smile, then turned to the Nymph and looked directly in her eyes, speaking loudly so all could hear her, "She's right – I **am** lying. I'm _**not**_ sorry I beat the shit out of that fucking bitch! Hell, I'd do it again if she were standing here in front of me and threatened one of my family or friends! You should be thanking me for not _killing_ her! If that makes me a monster in your eyes – I couldn't give two shits! **I feel** …like you hate me now, so I don't have any reason to stand in your way while you find someone else to beat you into an early grave. I won't try to stop it next time – since that's what you fucking want!" She whipped around and marched to her booth as Lauren tried to catch up to her.

Bo was sitting on the bench, still in shock at the exchange between the two women and was ill prepared to stop the young fae from slamming her hand over the truck keys on the table. She grabbed them and turned around in one smooth move not hearing the loud murmurings of the gathered friends or Lilly's wailing sobs. She was stopped by Dr. Lewis physically blocking her escape with her body.

"Where do you think you are going?" she asked giving the impression that the Valkyrie was staying put if she could help it.

"Home. No point in staying here after I've been dropped from Lilly's 'Friends and Family' list." She sneered and tried to walk around the doctor, but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder.

The human's face turned red in anger, "No you're not! Y-"

"Lauren, let her go. Please." Bo stood up, both literally and figuratively as she took her sister's arm. She gave her wife a painfully apologetic look, "I'm sorry, Lauren. She tried, you know that. But I don't think Lilly is at a place right now where she is willing to listen to what Dagny has to say. She shouldn't have to stay here just to be made a scapegoat when Nyla was the cause of this situation."

Dr. Lewis groaned out a sigh and slumped her shoulders, "You're right; it's wrong to force anyone to participate. It defeats the purpose. Lilly is still heartbroken over the end of her relationship now, and she still blames Dagny." She had allowed her personal relationship with Dagny to override her professional judgment momentarily in her anger at the young blonde. But the young Valkyrie still wasn't off Lauren's shit list. "We'll talk later." She glared at Dagny, and the statement loomed like a guillotine blade about to fall on the young fae.

"Thank you, Lauren. I'll drive her home." The Succubus gave her wife a sorrowful smile and a soft lingering kiss on her cheek.

Once they were alone in the truck, of course Bo wanted to talk about what happened. "Listen, I don't blame you for what you did, or said today. I wanted to kick the shit out of that sadistic bitch since I met her in Hecuba Prison years ago, and even more so now for what she did to Lilly. And don't take anything personally, Lilly's just…upset now; she didn't mean what she said to you." She handed the squinting Valkyrie her sunglasses and started the vehicle. She knew what it felt like for people to shrink in horror at the sight of you; to be called evil and treated like a monster. She knew what it felt like to commit extreme acts of violence without understanding why or how you were capable of it.

"It's alright, Bo. I really do appreciate you backing me up on this. I know she is messed up in the head and blames me for everything. But I don't have to listen to her bullshit. She is scared of me, and she wants me to stay away from her so that's what I'll do. Everybody wins." The Valkyrie put her sunglasses on and settled into the leaned back passenger seat. There was no way she would get back to sleep now, but at least she could relax.

"No…no, Dagny! It isn't right that she is afraid of a person who never raised a hand to her! She'll get the help she needs, now. And then she will see that you are a good person."

"Maybe I'm not a good person. Maybe…she is right to stay away from me. I really don't care either way." When she saw that her sister had risked too long a look at her than a person driving a vehicle should, she adjusted the seat up so they could talk easier and explained what happened at the Dal when Lilly left after closing time and how Vex believed the Nymph had been crushing on her, which was picked up by Nyla and was the impetus for the whole incident. "I can't stand to feel like I do when she is near me anymore, and now I'm sure the feeling is mutual. It's better this way."

Bo sucked in a breath and gripped the steering wheel tighter; she didn't want to navigate this unexpected emotional minefield. She tried to think back to all the times she had seen her sister and Lilly together to remember if she noticed any desire for the Valkyrie in the Nymph's aura. But they were never together very long, and her attention was usually elsewhere. She slowly let the air out of her lungs and agreed with the blonde, nodding, "You might be right about that. We'll see."

When they returned to the apartment, Dagny told her sister she just wanted to spend the rest of the day watching movies in her room. Bo asked to join her, and she agreed happily until the Succubus insisted on watching a movie she found inappropriate to her sensibilities.

"No. No way am I watching 'Pretty Woman' again, Bo. Or 'P.S., I Love You.' Forget about it! And please don't suggest 'Titanic,' or I just may vomit!" she mockingly stuck a finger in her mouth.

"Not again! You DID vomit early this morning, all over the bathroom floor!" The Succubus crossed her arms over her abdomen, "…and guess WHO had to clean it up before Lauren found out? You're welcome!" She snarked at the Valkyrie with a smug smile of victory.

"Mmmmm, well thanks! But she is still pissed at me anyways, so –nice try pal! And I could be dead tomorrow, so I don't want to spend my last moments watching sappy love stories!" she laughed mockingly at Bo's attempt to guilt her into submission.

After Bo gave equally vehement arguments against watching another war movie or violent western, they settled on silly, mindless comedies and lay propped against the headboard of Dagny's bed to watch them. They giggled and munched on popcorn until they heard Lauren arrive home, bellowing out to the Valkyrie to come downstairs. The two sisters exchanged a look of dread, and the young blonde decided to fall on her sword and ask her sister not to accompany her. "She didn't call you, so you are off the hook; you've already done me a huge favor by convincing her to let me leave that intervention."

The Valkyrie groaned as she got off the bed, she was still a bit hungover and tired from her adventures the night before. Bo looked at her sympathetically, "That's what sisters do, you know! We look out for each other." She started to get up as well, but the blonde stopped her.

"No, Bo. You've done enough. No sense in you spending the night on the couch for laughing when I say something stupid, which I probably will. So let me look out for you and keep you off the shit list tonight." The Valkyrie winked as she left the room and slowly marched down the stairs as if she were marching up the steps to the gallows and the hangman's waiting noose.

She walked up to Lauren who was standing by her desk, looking at the small brown paper bag Vex had brought the night before with her arms crossed over her chest. She looked up at the young fae after a couple of silent minutes. "I want to talk with you, young lady."

"I _know_. I'm sorry – I really am! I didn't mean to tease you this morning. But Bo was spooling me up…and I know that was not an excuse to take it out on you. You were just a target of opportunity since there is no way I can make a Succubus feel as embarrassed as she made me feel talking about having sex with a Qarinah except by dragging you into it. It was wrong of me." She felt proud of her honest and heartfelt apology, but it only caused Dr. Lewis more concern.

"Dagny, you had sex with a Qarinah last night?" her eyes furrowed in worry and the young fae realized she had but her foot in her mouth yet again. "Did you let her **feed** off of you?"

"I uh…umm…yyyeseesss…?" the interrogated fae whined out and furrowed her eyebrows as Lauren tilted her head back and rolled her eyes in disbelief the Valkyrie had done something so stupid so soon before her Dawning. Dagny felt somewhat vindicated for her other actions, however, and explained hurriedly, "That's why I was so drunk and threw up all over the bathroom floor – she must have chi-sucked my alcohol tolerance away!"

"Oh, Dagny…you could have gotten alcohol poisoning! And you need as much strength as you can muster before you enter the Temple!" she pulled her dark blonde hair back from her face and had a sudden epiphany, "And I suppose Bo knows about all of this and didn't bother to tell me?" her tone became accusatory.

The tall blonde closed her eyes and put a single finger to her tightly drawn lips for a few seconds. _Shit! How do I keep my sister out of this mess?_ She pulled her finger away and opened her eyes and her mouth with a smack, "I'm gonna stop talking now, and invoke my Fifth Amendment right to remain silent!"

"That's from the American Bill of Rights; we aren't in the United States, Dagny." The doctor deadpanned, not amused.

"But I'm thinking of moving there, sort of…nowish!" the Valkyrie quipped with her eyelids drooped in mock thoughtfulness. Dr. Lewis was fuming now, and her young charge knew she had overplayed the humor card after honesty and contrition were already on the table and trumped. She was going to lose this hand, as every topic she brought up was apparently not the reason her sister-in-law wanted to talk. She folded, "I'm sorry, Auntie Lo – that wasn't funny. What do you want to talk with me about?"

Lauren closed her eyes and let out a deep breath through her nose, understanding now the young Valkyrie was reluctant to dump her sister into the grease she was frying in right now. And for her loyalty to Bo whom Dagny was more often than not was at odds with, she let the matter go for the moment. "I spoke to Dyson before the intervention, and he told me what you said to him last night."

Dagny wracked her brain, trying to think of what she could have said that would upset the doctor more than her drinking, illicit interlude with a sex fae, or teasing. Her inner Rolodex of memories turned rapidly and fell on the most obvious answer - her uncontrollable impulse to mock others - and she nodded. "Oh…yeah…I already apologized to him for that. It was a joke! I know he wasn't hitting on me!"

The human gave her an indignant and confused expression and slapped her hands on the desk, "WHAT?! What do you m-"

"Shutting up again." the tall fae gulped.

The doctor exhaled loudly through her nose again, as her lips were pulled tightly into a grimace. Dagny was digging a bigger hole for herself every time she opened her mouth, and if she wanted to discuss what she was concerned about she would just have to get right to the point. "Dyson said you told him Vex thinks Lilly has feelings for you. Vex confirmed this, and Dyson agrees with his assumption. Nyla must have seen it, too. It all makes sense, now."

"Did Dyson tell you anything _else_?" Dagny asked, now suspicious that the wolf had ratted her out about her questioning him about why Bo had never told him about her and Tamsin. _My, my - Dyson, what a BIG mouth you have! First, you dime out my mother, and now me! I should have known better…_ She thought to herself, now regretting being so honest and open with him the night before.

"I'm asking the questions." Lauren shot back. She leaned back off the desk and placed a hand on her hip, asking "Is that why you said what you did today at the intervention? Hmmm? Because you don't want anyone to love you? Because _you_ don't want to fall in love?"

The Valkyrie's mouth went dry and her eyes grew hard. " **No**. That's not the reason. I said it because that is the _truth_."

"Is it also true you don't want love anyone, or let anyone love you? Or was Dyson lying about that?"

"Love will get you killed." The blonde fae intoned emotionlessly, repeating the Valkyrie mantra she learned. She would have elaborated to defend her beliefs, brought up the tragic end of her own mother or the morose wolf shifter - but felt too much respect for Lauren to rub it in. There was no value added to needling her about it, she knew it. But she wasn't going to lie or back down from her statement, either.

Lauren dropped her head and clapped a hand on her forehead as she blew out a breath out through her mouth. While she could effortlessly influence Dagny on any other topic, the Valkyrie seemed as stoutly resolute in this conviction as her mother was. She dropped her hand after a few beats and looked up at her, "Let me guess – that genius Stacey taught you that, didn't she?" When the young fae merely stared at her defiantly, she added threateningly, "Answer me! Unless you would rather discuss the other things you brought up tonight."

"Hey." Bo called out softly from the top of the stairs. Dagny had been gone too long, and now she was worried since a simple scolding for drinking and making inappropriate jokes would have taken far less time. From the expression on her sister's face she knew they were discussing a far deeper issue and definitely not agreeing on it, "Do you…should I leave you tw-"

"No, come on down and have a seat." She pushed the young blonde over to the couch, and she sat down as Bo came downstairs to join her. Lauren sank slowly onto the coffee table to face them as her wife looked between the two blondes, tying to work out what had transpired between them.

After a tense few moments of silence, the doctor leaned forward and spoke to the Valkyrie, "Do you like to swim?"

"What?"

"Just answer the question. Yes or no – do you like to swim?"

"Yes, of course I do. You know that!"

"Why?"

"Because…it's fun. It makes me feel good." The young fae shrugged.

Dr. Lewis nodded, "Sure it does, even though sometimes the chlorine burns your eyes, or you swim in the ocean and a jellyfish stings you. It can be painful, but the joy of it outweighs the risks. Lots of people enjoy being in the water, but there are millions of people who are terrified of it. They never learn to swim, and never experience the joys of jumping into deep water on a hot day or swimming across a lake to make it to the other side. They think they are safe from the dangers of deep water, but thousands of them drown anyway. An accident, a push, or a simple slip causes them to fall in over their heads – and they end up drowning. Sometimes only inches from swallow water or a helping hand."

She paused and noticed the Succubus had furrowed her eyebrows in confusion at the strange line of questioning and raised a hand palm out to prevent her from interrupting. Everything would be clear to her in a few minutes, and Lauren waited for the Valkyrie to reply. Bo hadn't heard the entire conversation and was still oblivious of the context, but her sister knew exactly what the doctor was driving at, "It's not the same, Lauren!" she frowned indignantly.

"It is EXACTLY the same!" she gave her a wistful smile. "You learn to swim in the shallows or you risk falling into the deep end and sinking helplessly to the bottom."

"And how EXACTLY am I supposed to learn?" she sneered back, thinking the question would stump Dr. Lewis.

It didn't, "By accepting that your friends and family do love and care about you, and that you feel the same for them. By admitting that you did what you did to Nyla because you care about Lilly, and she hurt you by treating you the way she did."

"I am NOT…in love with her!" the young blonde leaned forward to express her conviction with wide eyes that dared the doctor to deny it."

"No. I don't think you are." Lauren agreed and shook her head briefly, "But that's not what I said. You care about her, and she cares about you. And because you do care, when she acted hatefully towards you – it hurt you, and you lashed out. I know that's why you did it. You have to accept that. You can't help her or _yourself_ if you deny your feelings and push her away, and the next time someone you care about hurts you – you might be in over your head, and you _will_ sink. Learn to swim in the shallows."

"It's too late, Lauren. She's terrified of me; she hates me for what I did. I can _feel_ it, like a dagger in my gut. I nearly beat the woman she loved to death, and I'm not sorry for it. There is no going back from that." The Valkyrie tried to look stoic, but the twitching of her eyes and corners of her mouth gave away her emotion.

"You don't go back – you move forward. Lilly is getting the help she needs, and she will want to make amends with you when she accepts the fact that Nyla was not a good person and didn't really care for her. For her sake, and yours, I need you to not to act so cold and heartless towards her when she does. She will need your support and forgiveness to move forward in her life. Please, Dagny." The doctor implored and reaching out grasped the Valkyrie's hands with both of hers.

The young blonde stared at her with wide eyes that expressed a fear she rarely felt, "She thinks I'm _evil_ , Lauren! I can't convince her I'm not, so there is no reason to try. I don't want her to make me feel…" she trailed off and bit her lower lip.

Lauren smiled warmly and finished her thought for her, "You don't want her to hurt your feelings again. And of course you can show her that you aren't evil…by letting her know she hurt you. An evil person wouldn't do that; couldn't feel like that. Your Dawning is tomorrow. Remember what Acacia said – you have to know and accept who you are. Don't let Lilly or anyone convince you you're an evil person, or that you can't be hurt by the people you love. You are _so_ smart and powerful; it's time you became emotionally resilient as well."

"OK." She nodded, "I'll try. That's all I can do." the Valkyrie stood, and Lauren rose to her feet with her, pulling her into a hug.

"Get yourself a beer and go upstairs. I want to talk with Bo alone for a minute." The doctor broke their embrace then explained, "It's medicinal. I think you Valkyrie need your alcohol. Just don't overdo it, OK?"

"Right." The Valkyrie agreed, and headed towards the fridge. She paused before heading for the stairs, "Lauren, about the Qarinah thing – don't be mad at Bo for that. She never got a chance to tell you."

A slow smile spread across the Succubus' face as she watched her sister leave. She looked at Laruen, "I think she's going to be alright."


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N: Hope this clears up some questions...and I'll be wrapping it up soon. Planned this as a trilogy, let me know how you feel about it. Thanks for reading.**

Dawning of a Valkyrie

Chapter 30: Live each Day

Dagny took advantage of Bo and Lauren's private talk to change into more comfortable clothes before she continued watching her movies. This evening, unlike most times, she didn't want to be alone. She finished off her bottle of beer, and contemplated getting another when Bo tapped on the door and opened it without waiting for a reply. "Hey, wanna finish watching movies? I brought us some more beer." The Succubus grinned and held up a six pack.

"That was quick. So, I take you're not in trouble. What did she want to talk to you about?" the blonde asked, turning the movie back on.

"Ahhh, nothing that would interest you. Having babies – I'll spare you the details. She's going to do some research, and then order some Chinese for dinner. She wants to check on your stitches, too." the brunette settled down on the bed and leaned against the headboard, handing her sister a beer once she had joined her.

They watched in silence for some time, except for chuckling at the funny moments until they reached a poignant part of the story and Dagny spoke, "Bo…" she leaned off the bed and stared at her beer, picking at the label.

"Hmmm….." she sat up when she didn't get a response. "What is it, Dagny?"

"I just wanted…I mean…" she blew out a long breath and looked up into the Succubus' dark brown eyes, now softened by concern that made it easier for the Valkyrie to express herself. "I love you, too, Bo. I should have said so a long time ago."

Bo smiled and put an arm around the young fae. She pulled them both back against the headboard as the Valkyrie laid her head on her sister's shoulder. "You're going to do just fine tomorrow. I know it."

"I believe you. But I needed you to know, anyways." She felt like a weight had been lifted off her chest and she could breathe easy for the first time in years as she relaxed into her sister's embrace.

"I've always known, but thank you for saying it. And I want you to know that I'm sorry - I haven't been the easiest person to get along with, at least towards you." The Succubus' heart was warmed by the unusual tenderness of the Valkyrie and was doing her best not to ruin the moment.

"Me either." The blonde whispered, regretting her own past behavior.

They stayed like that until the movie was over, and Bo regretfully got up to pick out another DVD. She was surprised when the blonde put her arm around her and pulled her close again once she sat back down on the bed. That is how Dr. Lewis found them when she entered the room with a bag of take-out for them. She made her way to the far side of the bed with a smug smile and squeezed onto the narrow bed next to Dagny.

As she handed out the food, Bo queried, "You look happy – did you find what you where looking for under your microscope?"

"Well…yes and no. I found a new starting point, and it does look _very_ promising!" she beamed. "I've been able to do a comparative analysis and isolate the Valkyrie chromosome!"

"Buuuttt…." Dagny butted in as she opened her food container.

"But – switching the recessive fae genes dominant may involve hormones either secreted in vitro or, I hope, by the hypothalamus or pituitary gland during puberty, when they acquire their powers." She sighed, "And I missed my two chances to study prepubescent Valkyrie since I wasn't here when Tamsin was reborn and Kenzi had to take you into hiding, Dagny. Valkyrie are rare on earth, and I blew both chances I had. And they don't really leave a body behind to dissect when they….rise."

"Mmmmm, mayba ah'll get hit by a bus or sommthin' an yooll get anoffer chanccee." Dagny mumbled in jest with a mouth full of food.

"DAGNY!" Bo and Lauren exclaimed at once.

"Dagny - stop it! We talked about this – don't talk like that! It's not funny!" Bo slapped her again on the arm again, but it didn't' do any good.

The Valkyrie swallowed her food and looked thoughtful for a moment, "Sorry. But there is a third Valkyrie around here. So, I guess making a joke about taking Stacey out in the name of research is off the table?"

"What do you think?" the Succubus scowled and pinched her sister, eliciting a yelp of pain and a scowl.

"Ohhh, Monty Python!" Lauren finally noticed the movie playing and it was a welcome distraction. They ate and laughed together, until the Valkyrie fell into a deep slumber between them while it was still early in the evening. The doctor suggested they leave, but her wife objected.

"No, let's stay a little while longer." The Succubus said sadly. Despite her assurances to the contrary, she was still worried about her sister. She reached down and brushed the hair away from the sleeping Valkyrie's face, leaving her hand to rest on the young fae's head.

Lauren reached out and gently touched her wife's hand, "OK." She smiled warmly at her, "She's going to be alright. And you are going to be a good mother, too."

 _ **The next morning…**_

Bo watched Dagny sipping her coffee at the far end of the bar. She had suddenly become morose after they arrived, and willingly took a seat at the far end of the bar when Bo and Lauren asked to speak with Dyson alone. She had smiled and told them she wanted to be alone anyways when her sister apologized. There was still plenty of time before the start of the Dawning Ceremony since Lauren insisted they arrive at the Dal as early as possible. It would be closed today, for the Dawning Ceremony. If they were running late because of a traffic accident or any other unforeseen circumstances that would only add to the anxiety of the Valkyrie, she explained to her wife. But now the Succubus suspected the endless wait was making her sister her sister anxious, and said so aloud. But Dyson, leaning on his hands on the bar across from his former lover and her current wife, had a different theory.

"She's really mad at me." He looked at Lauren meaningfully.

Lauren gave him a painful look in return, "Well, she'll get over it…eventually. Valkyrie value loyalty above most other virtues, from what I've learned of their ways. But I, for one, am glad you told me about her intention to keep an emotional distance from other people. Sooner or later she will leave us to be with her Valkyrie sisters for awhile to learn from them, and they will reinforce her belief that she should avoid caring for people. We have to at least try to give her another perspective before it's too late." Dr. Lewis patted his hand on the bar with a small smile playing on her lips.

"Agreed. That's why I told you. The things she said that night…" he shrugged, not wanting to reveal the entire conversation, "…made me worry about what might happen to her. I don't want her to end up…you know."

Dr. Lewis nodded in agreement, "Well, Dagny seemed to accept what I said to her last night, so I think she's made a lot of progress. But…she did seem overly anxious that you might have told me anything else, so…now I am concerned. What _else_ did she say?"

The wolf lifted himself off the bar and stood up straight, crossing his arms over his chest, "That's personal and just between the two of us. And I don't think you two really want to know."

"We do; I do! Tell us Dyson! She probably thinks you told Lauren already, so no harm done." Bo cajoled him. "Please Dyson; it could be important!"

He mentally debated whether or not he should tell them, then ventured a quick glance at the Valkyrie who staring straight ahead and leaned on his folded arms on the bar to be heard as he spoke in voice barely above a whisper, "She asked me why I told Bo I slept with Tamsin, and later she asked me if Bo ever told me she slept with Tamsin." He immediately regretted telling them, but the Succubus still had a hold over him even though he wished she didn't.

Bo rolled her eyes defensively, "You knew Dyson…apparently everybody could figure it out by the way she was acting. I could see it in your eyes." She was silent for a few beats, then asked, "Why _did_ you tell me, about you and Tamsin? I mean…at first I thought it was because you wanted me to know you two were…going to be together." She shrugged. When she told Tamsin she knew about her and Dyson when they were in Valhalla, she was ready to give them her blessing. Even if it meant an end to her healing sex with the wolf, which the Succubus side of her regretted. Instead, the wolf convinced Tamsin to work with her instead of taking her back to the police force.

"I told Dagny I felt guilty; I was still in love with you. I wanted you to hear it from me, and not through gossip, or suspect that it happened but never know for sure." He waited while they thought of what the gist of these strange questions could be.

"I get it." Bo sighed, and the pair looked at her in anticipation. "She knows that _you_ felt guilty, Dyson, about sleeping with Tamsin and thinks _I_ didn't. So she thinks I didn't even care about what happened to her mother enough to discuss it with anyone else. I should go talk to her." As she stood up off her stool, the other two stopped her from leaving.

"No…no Bo! Just let her be for now!" Lauren grabbed her shoulders and pushed her back a step, accidentally sending the stool screeched across the floor a few inches, the sound echoing in the nearly empty bar.

"Bo, this isn't about YOU!" Dyson said, a little too loudly.

They all froze for a second when they knew their noisy antics must have seemed alarming, and then turned to the far end of the bar. Of course the Valkyrie had heard the ruckus and was staring at them with a deer in the headlights look on her face. Dagny rolled her eyes at their incessant need to discuss things in private and shook her head in disgust. She knew for certain they were talking about her heart to heart with Dyson now, but said nothing. Instead she turned to stare at the mirror across the bar in front of her as she had been before they earned her attention. The only noise in the bar now was the young blonde fae calmly yet loudly sipping her hot coffee.

Dyson reached over the bar to gently urge the Succubus to face him by her arm and leaned forward whispering, "Listen to me…you don't know exactly what happened that night! I was trying to convince her to let people care about her. She was using _us_ as an example, Bo, of why she shouldn't even bother trying to letting herself love someone, since I haven't found someone else to love. Not you and Tamsin. And when she asked me if you told _me_ about you and Tamsin – I didn't know she was already aware of the fact that you two slept together. It wasn't my place to tell her, but once I realized she already knew, I think her point was that you didn't feel an obligation to talk about it with me about it. Because you had already moved on, and I should, too, or just give up on love. She was right, Bo. I was worried because she wanted people she thinks might be in love with her to HATE her. That's why I told Lauren. For her sake. And now she hates me even more for it, and I played right into her belief that she shouldn't allow herself to be vulnerable because I betrayed her trust again. For YOU this time!"

He released her and moved away to lean against the far counter behind the bar, sorry that he had been coerced into possibly further damaging the faith the young Valkyrie had in him by divulging anything else to the woman who no longer loved him. _Dagny opened up to me and said she wished I was her father and I just put my loyalty to Bo above my loyalty to her again. Exactly as I had done to her mother, and everyone else except Trick since Bo came into my life._

"Stacey…she told her about me…and her mother. But how did she know about Tamsin and-" Bo began quietly; not wanting to let the issue go after the shifter dropped this bombshell on her.

"Doesn't matter. All the cards are on the table, and it's too late to raise the stakes. And I'm not telling you anything else about our conversation. It isn't any of your concern."

"All the cards aren't on the table. Someone still hasn't shown their hand." Lauren spoke up, finally, after allowing her wife and Dyson to hash out their issues without her input. Once she had their attention, she informed them, "Acacia told Dagny Hades raped her mother – but she didn't tell her exactly how that transpired and I'm not sure she knows. She said Hades could enter the temple to try to manipulate her, and he could use that against her. I didn't think about it before, but we should have talked with her about this! But I think it's too late now. It might to more damage than good to tell her before she gets a chance to deal with it, emotionally. All we can do is offer her our love and support."

"And our trust." Dyson spoke, and stared at the brunette.

Mercifully, the doorbells jingled announcing the arrival of other invited guests. Vex and Mark entered happily, the Mesmer proclaiming, "Ladies and Gents: The party has ARRIVED!" He twirled around in his leather pants and white silk shirt before he strutted up to the bar to join Bo and Lauren as the panther shifter followed along with a grin. Noticing their mood he quipped, "Whut, who died this time? Doesn't matter – barkeep, a shot of your finest to toast the dead bugger, whoever he may be!"

"Bar's closed Vex. This isn't a party." The shifter frowned.

"Awww, c'mon dad! It's a celebration!" Mark moved down the bar to clap his hands on the Valkyrie's shoulders, "It's Dagny's big day! Just one drink! And I know the rest of us all have good news to celebrate! I've been made supervising detective on my shift – thanks to you recognizing the danger and calling me before hand, Dagny. My boss was thankful that I arrived here before the Amazons fled after attacking you; it would have cost him his job if they got away after that near riot afterwards! And Evony is pleased, too; she is offering you an opportunity to join the force!"

The Mesmer had made his way behind the bar to grab a bottle and shot glasses, "And I think there might be a little Succu-hotpants baby on the way soon. Better drink up now, ladies – you won't be able to soon!" His eyes glistened as he sing-songed out his mirth at everyone's good fortune and began pouring shots for them all as his boyfriend joined them, sans Valkyrie who had refused to move. "So, whose oven will be baking the buns?"

"Knock it off, Vex! This isn't the time or place to discuss this! Show some respect for the seriousness of the ceremony!" Dyson growled, irritated as always at the Mesmer for his devil may care attitude and grabbing the bottle away from him.

Vex leaned closer to the wolf to murmur out, now irritated himself, "Riigghhht. Because THAT…" he pointed at the sullen Valkyrie, "…is how she should spend her last moments. She SHOULD go into the Temple knowing her place in this family. My mistake! I forgot even an abandoned stray dog is faithful to his absent former owner whenever she whistles! Thank the gods I prefer cats!" he retrieved the bottle from the speechless wolf and resumed his efforts, shaking his head at the wolf who had forsaken all others who cared for him to spend time with a married woman who no longer loved him.

"It's not like that, Vex…we were-" Lauren began, but he ignored her.

Vex shouted down to the solitary blonde, and expertly made her reluctance to join them a personal issue between the pair of them, "C'mon down, Tamsin 2.0! Sorry about laughing at you yesterday; but you of all people should know better than to shag a chi-sucking strumpet! I thought you wanted the big boobed dancer! It's the only reason I brought her along! Let me make it up to you!" He looked up swiftly at the Succubus and said wholeheartedly, "No offence, Bo!"

"Offense…taken!" the brunette hissed, but a hand squeezing her shoulder caught her attention. She turned and looked into Lauren's eyes as the blonde shook her head almost imperceptibly. The doctor noticed Vex's gambit had worked, and when she turned back to the bar, her sister had joined them and Dyson was drinking a shot.

Vex laughed at the fuming Succubus, then told her in mock apology, "Hhhmmmm, you're right. Sorry Bo. Dagny – feel free to charge Saia's battery on a regular basis!" He pushed a shot towards the Valkyrie who had taken a seat next to Mark, "After all, she will be working for me soon and I want her at the top of her game!"

"Stop taking the piss out of her, Vex." The Valkyrie told him with a derisive look before her sister had the chance to retort. "Bo and Lauren don't share our sense of humor. Could I have a beer instead?"

"No! Listen to Uncle Vexie! I know Valkyrie – shot first, then beer. It's for your own good." He pointed a finger right in her face.

"Dyson…" Bo chimed in, asking the wolf to intervene without specifically saying so.

"It's fine, Bo. It could be her last day, and one drink won't hurt her. She's a Valkyrie." He poured himself another shot and held it up, looking at the young blonde trying to make amends with his words but more so with his soft brown eyes. "There is something I didn't tell you about the old days – before a battle warriors toasted their own death. We went to war with the conviction that we were already dead, and that gave us the courage to overcome any doubts that might cause us to hesitate and make a deadly mistake in battle. And it kept many of us alive."

She twitched a small smile at him, her anger at his betrayal mollified for the moment and she toasted him, "To the being already dead!" Mark raised his glass as well, and Vex joined him as they clinked their shots together then tilted their heads back and drank.

"That's morbid!" Lauren expressed her thoughts aloud as there was more jangling from the door heralded new arrivals. The Inter-Clan Council members had arrived, and Dyson slammed his shot glass down before he moved hurriedly to the other side of the bar to greet them. Sean, the kindly tracker who had delivered the Invitation looked uneasy in his ill-fitting suit, but Saia seemed confident and cocky, giving the Valkyrie a salacious look up and down her body as she passed her at the bar. Bo had to stop herself from confronting the Qarinah right then and there for leering at her sister like a piece of meat just now as Dyson lead the new arrivals to the back room of the bar without a word. It left the rest of them puzzled as to why they hadn't officially, or even casually, addressed them.

"What…the hell...?" Bo asked the question on all their minds as she watched them disappear, and whirled on the Mesmer for an answer. "This isn't normal, is it?"

"Don't look at me! I'm not on the council; I'm not involved in planning these things! Nothing is the same anymore, especially when it comes to Valkyrie – and who knows how their Dawning Ceremony goes. Ugghh, should've asked your ex about it when you had the chance." He shook his head at her lapse of foresight. "Your beer, m'lady!" he set a pint glass in front of the Valkyrie with a flourish and a dapper bow.

"My good sir!" She toasted him with a hand over her heart and took a sip.

Mark laughed along with the pair at their clowning until Bo pushed him aside to get next to her sister and speak to her before another inevitable interruption. She pulled the Valkyrie out of her seat and further down the bar, "What? What did I do now, Bo?" Dagny asked, thinking she had unknowingly committed another misstep.

"Nothing….NOTHING! I just…" she foundered, and looked behind her to Lauren who was walking up to the pair. Vex was right - the time for asking questions was quickly ticking away, and she wanted to offer her sister one last chance to resolve any issues that might be bothering her.

"Is this about the toast? Sorry, I-" the blonde began before being cut off.

"NO! It's not that." She sighed as Lauren stood behind her. "Is there anything you want to ask me, before you go? Anything at all?" her eyes searched the green eyes staring back at her in confusion to look for a sign that she needed to hear something else from her.

"Bo, what do you want me to sa-"

"Dagny! Just ask me! Please!" the Succubus implored.

"Fine: why do you only want to talk after it's too late to change anything?" she smirked, not quite sure what her sister was driving at, and falling back on humor as was her wont.

" **I** can answer that: Because it is always easier to beg forgiveness than ask permission!" The Morrigan strolled up to them from the back room, evidently wanting to make a surprise entrance via the back door.

"Evony! What do you want?" Bo sneered, knowing she was on the council but curious as to why she was seeking them out when the others were in the back room.

"A drink! You Light fae…sorry…UALIGNED fae are so…not fun!" she noticed the beer in Dagny's hand, and her eyes gleamed. "I take it back; at least _some_ of you know how to live! And about the permission thing - I didn't mean you personally, Bo! C'mon, we all do that!"

By this time Vex had noticed his leader and had made his way to the end of the bar, "My dear, what's your pleasure?"

"Martini, two olives, make it dirty, and don't skimp on the gin!" She turned her eager eyes from her subordinate behind the bar and let them fall on the young fae about to experience her Dawning. "Now, young lady, what do you know about the odds of a Valkyrie passing The Dawning?"

Dagny looked to Bo and Lauren, the latter wide eyed in surprise, but the former moving closer to get in between the pair until an upheld hand from the Morrigan stopped her. Evony's brown eyes never wavered from her intense stare even with the green eyes darted from hers to appeal to her family. Once they locked again, Dagny answered her "I don't know anything about it. I don't think anyone does."

"I do. The odds of success are near 100 percent if they have their weapon of choice, and dismal if they don't. And the only way to get it is to be accepted by the Valkyrie sisterhood to serve Valhalla, which you have not. But I happen to have the weapon you need. All you have to do is join the Dark and work for me as my…'fixer'"

Dagny was dumbstruck, and apparently her sister was as well even though it seemed as if she was struggling to speak. _The Blood Oath….oh gods what have I done…._ Bo thought as Vex hurried around the bar and handed his boss a drink, and then gently took Lauren by the shoulders to move her away with him. He whispered to her desperately that this was fae business and how sorry he was to have to pull her away, but assured her Bo could stay with Dagny. He wanted to stay for moral support - with Lauren; but this decision was up to the young fae to make on her own. He had his orders; and rules were rules. Humans couldn't fully understand what was at stake, just as a man could never fully experience what a woman would go through in childbirth. And in that moment, remembering what happened in her Dawning – Bo realized this too, and said softly, "It'll be alright Lauren."

"Well, what will it be? Time's running out?" Evony grinned wickedly.

"I am a Valkyrie. I-"

"No you're not! Are you devoted to taking souls to Valhalla? Pledged to serve your Mistress Acacia? No? Just dedicated to drinking and whoring around earth like your mother and your sister until your father comes back to claim you when you fail your Dawning! Nice plan, going out with a bang instead of a whimper like your mother!" Her voice dripped heavily with sarcasm her syrupy sweet tone couldn't disguise.

There was a flash of light, and an authoritative voice roared out, "That's enough, Evony! You haven't earned the right to talk to her like that! And **don't** think I haven't noticed that you are trying to undercut me on our deal!" Acacia strode up dressed in gleaming armor as feathered wings disappeared behind her, walking away from her escort of four Valkyrie similarly dressed yet less elaborately so.

"How…" Bo began, confused. She had seen Tamsin disappear in a flash of light when Kenzi died, but never appear that way.

"I've mastered the art of flight, my dear. I've had my wings for a long, long time." Acacia turned and gestured to the women who accompanied her, and they lined up outside the doorway to the back room. She strode up to the trio at the end of the bar, "So I take it she has already given you her offer; do you want to be her executioner or go to Valhalla to strengthen your odds of passing The Dawning? Or…are you open to an alternative?"

"Maybe I don't want to make a deal or have a weapon! Bo didn't, and she made it out!" Dagny sneered, and The Succubus smiled in relief. She couldn't interfere, but was proud of her sister for following her footsteps.

"I think she had help…didn't Dyson help her out of the Temple…or am I mistaken?" Evony drawled out as if she didn't know.

Dagny looked around suspiciously, confused as to why her sister hadn't put in her two cents. But when her eyes fell on Bo and the Succubus closed her eyes tightly, she knew the Morrigan hadn't lied. "What's the alternative?" she asked Acacia, still staring at her sister. _She DID have help…but she can't help me…_

"You can stay here, on earth, but you pledge to the Dark. I know you want to stay here, with your family, and that suits my plans. Of course, you'll have to get more training in Valhalla first. I won't let Evony use you for anything…immoral. BUT…you will work for me as well. I will send you on missions occasionally, but more importantly I want you to mentor a young Valkyrie after your Dawning. She will be your partner on missions, and she will stay in the colony with you as well. And our deal will end when Hades is defeated for good. Then you are free to decide how you want to live the rest of your lives." Acacia spoke to her earnestly, without her former vitriol or sarcasm, and it moved her.

It sounded like a good deal to the young blonde; she didn't care about which clan she belonged to in the new climate of the colony she grew up in. She didn't judge people by their political affiliation. But one thing bothered her, "I don't think I can mentor another Valkyrie, Mistress! I'm too young! I don't know…anything." She dropped her head in shame.

Acacia smiled tenderly, proud that her protégé had remembered to address her by her title this time and that she wasn't so cocky she couldn't acknowledge there were many things she had yet to learn. The ancient Valkyrie stepped forward and placed a hand on the side of her head and then drifted it lower to lift her chin and looked into her eyes, "You can. You will. You are more powerful than you comprehend. You can't know what you are able do yet; what you are capable of doing. But you will learn, very soon – just as your sister did. And you have to accept it, for the greater good of us all. I've made mistakes in the past – I won't try to keep you from your family as I did to your mother! You are free to live your life as you please, but you haven't given us a chance yet. The decision is yours to make. And if you don't choose and go it alone – that is still _your_ choice."

 _ **Other end of the bar…**_

"What's going on Vex? Why isn't Bo saying anything? I'm go-" Lauren stood off her barstool and was physically blocked by Mark gathered her into a bear hug.

"LAUREN! Please!" It wasn't his powerful body that stopped her efforts, but the pleading tone of his voice. He continued speaking with eyebrows furrowed regretfully after she reluctantly took her seat again, "Please, stop. You can't interfere. None of us can. This is her decision to make. You've already done all you can. It's up to her now."

Vex had made his way behind the shifter and hugged him, laying his head on a muscular shoulder. Mark leaned his head against the Mesmer's briefly then patted him on the arm to let him know he was alright. The Mesmer sighed and released his lover, looking at Lauren and placing a hand on her shoulder, "I don't know what's going on. I _do_ know Evony made a deal with Acacia, and Bo gave a blood oath to Evony about something. That's all. Honestly! But Mark's right – we can't stop this - whatever this…is!" They all looked down the bar following Vex's hand that pointed to the opposite end of the bar just in time to see the council enter the bar from the back room.

The group funneled themselves away from the door to allow another person following behind them to enter the room unobstructed. It was Stacey. Once she had fully entered the room she proclaimed loudly, "I offer myself as Hand to the Valkyrie Dagny!"

Lauren suddenly realized that Evony had tricked Bo into a seemingly meaningless blood oath that had serious consequences.


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N: Nearly done! Work is hell, and I might be going to a 4/10 shift soon which is better than the overtime I had to do…fun! Just sayin' - this is the Dawning and everything in the real world is turned upside down inside of it. Only a few chapters and it'll be over. The sequel is about Bo and Lauren trying and having a child and how it changes the family dynamics of everyone they are close to in this world as Hades reveals himself. Now I am giving spoilers. I hate that. Curse me.**

 **Thanks for reading/reviewing. Even you, Miss potty mouth if, you are still reading. I suspect that you are.**

Dawning of a Valkyrie

Chapter 31: Spin Me Right Round, Baby

"I offer myself as Hand to the Valkyrie Dagny!" Stacey gave her proclamation loudly, looking more stoic than she had ever been in her life. Dr. Lewis' blood ran cold when she noticed her wife staring at her taciturn, with a horrified and helpless look on her face.

In reply, there was only silence. It was so quiet they could all hear the ceiling fan motor droning and whirling overhead. That is, until Lauren interjected "NO! Bo, stop this! She c-" _No,no…Dagny doesn't know what it means…Stacey is a prisoner – this isn't right!...oh gods…and what will Stacey do in the Temple-what if she IS still working for Hades!_

Vex clapped a hand over her mouth, murmuring his apologies in her ear before stating loudly, "Sorry…humans… proceed!"

The mousey Dark fae in a sweater vest who was acting Council Chairman stared at the Mesmer for a moment and then looked to Evony and Dyson who both nodded, and he straightened his eyeglasses. "An Offer of Hand has been made! Dagny, do yo-"

"AAAArrrggghhhhh!" Vex exclaimed after the doctor had bitten his hand and ran forward to where the young Valkyrie and her sister were standing. He rushed after her with the panther shifter, but stopped short just as Lauren did.

"Dagny, don't-" the doctor began, cut off by the ring of steel swords clearing scabbards as the Valkyrie escort drew their weapons and made ready for battle just as Mark and Vex reached Lauren's side.

"HOLD!" Acacia hollered, before the Succubus could break her vow and damn herself by protecting her wife against her blood oath not to interfere. The Mistress nodded at Bo with a knowing and compassionate expression that reassured her, and then gestured to the prospective Hand to stand before Lauren. She took out her own sword slowly, and offered it hilt first to the confused Stacey. "Here. Take it, it's a powerful weapon. Take it and go, if that's what you want. Go on, leave." She jerked her head towards the front door. "We'll be here for Dagny's Dawning – now's your chance to escape. I won't send anyone after you – you have the Blood Oath of the Mistress of Valhalla! You're free! Go take your chances out there; with **them**. The _human_ doesn't want your help!"

The Valkyrie contemplated the proffered sword, gazing at it in amazement, before she looked directly into Acacia's hardened eyes for the first time in many years. She understood now; Acacia wanted the approval and faith of Dagny's family or their agreement was null and void. And there was no way she wanted to go back to Tartarus where she would inevitably end up if she walked away today, but it seemed equally impossible to get the endorsement she needed from Dr. Lewis. "I tried to kill her, once. She doesn't trust me; she hates me! What am I supposed to do?" Stacey whined, honestly afraid but resistant to run away again to an even worse fate.

"What you think is right instead of what you think is easy, for once in your life." Acacia told her softly.

The younger Valkyrie hitched in a halting breath, trying not to cry even though she was overcome with emotions, most of all regret of her past mistakes. "I'm so sorry, Lauren. I'm a coward. I should have had the courage to leave before Freya made me what I am now. I should never have tried to kill you; you did nothing to deserve it."

Her near breakdown eased Lauren's suspicions about her intentions, but broke her heart over what the Valkyrie was about to do since she knew the consequences. "Stacey…" she whispered, "…I forgive you."

Stacey dropped her head and nodded. When she looked up she whispered back despondently, "Thank you." She pushed the sword away and cleared her throat, gathering all her strength to announce so all could hear her heartfelt sincerity, "I offer myself as Hand, of my own free will, fully aware of the consequences." She turned around to look directly into Dagny's green eyes, "Do you accept?"

"I accept your offer, Stacey." Dagny smiled forlornly at her. Even though she was as shocked as everyone else at the surprise turn of events, she was even more surprised by the show of emotion and fear of Hades displayed by the elder Valkyrie.

"I'm supposed to ask those questions!" the mousy Chairman objected as Acacia and her Valkyrie disappeared into the back room with Stacey, leaving the rest of the council members in the main bar.

"Oh, shut up Merle!" Evony laughed. "The deal is done, the Ceremony has begun -that's what's important. Good luck, Valkyrie! Test time; hope you studied!" She drained her glass to the dredges and addressed Dyson as she clapped him on the back, "Hey, barkeep! How about a refill!"

"A moment, please, Evony!" he glowered at her callousness for just a second before walking up to Dagny and pulling her into a hug. "You can do this, I know you can." He kissed the top of her head before he released her.

Mark was next, swaying her back and forth for a second as they embraced, then tussling her hair, "You got this! When you join the police force, I hope you get posted to my precinct - you know how I like my coffee! Rookie!" He winked at her, and she cuffed him lightly on the head good-naturedly.

Vex pulled her away from his boyfriend and looked into her eyes intently, "If you die, can I have your truck? Bo doesn't want it and…" Dagny laughed and pulled him close. "You are strong. Like your mother. Come back to us." He whispered so no one else could hear. Once they pulled apart, he laid a hand on her cheek and stared into her eyes for a moment. "Uh, huh….Right, gotta run luv, seems like your dance card is full!"

Bo and Lauren were hovering nearby, but knew it was their turn last as the closest family the Valkyrie had. Lauren stepped up and held her by the shoulders at arm's length for a few seconds after the Mesmer drifted back behind the bar. She looked her up and down as if giving her a medical once over as the Valkyrie raised an eyebrow in question. "I just want to remember you how you are now – apparently the Dawning changes everyone but humans can't understand that! I wish I had time to take more samples compare to the ones I'll take later so I can get quantify the difference." she deadpanned, and Dagny giggled with her, grateful that the doctor had expressed her quirky sense of humor at this serious occasion. They embraced, but there were no words. Lauren just held the taller fae's head as she rested it on her shoulder and rubbed her back with the other hand.

Dagny pulled herself slowly away and took off her necklace holding the pendant of her mother's feather, and pressed it into Lauren's palm. As she closed the human's fingers over it gently she looked into her soft brown eyes, "Take this for me."

The doctor shook her head, "Dagny…no! You're going to make it!"

She conjured a small smile for the woman who was her touchstone through her emotionally turbulent teenage years, "I know. I don't want to lose it. You brought me into this world, and you can give it back to me when I return to it. I love you Lauren."

"I know. I am a loveable person…" her eyes rolled up to look at the ceiling as she cocked her head and pulled a smug grin. When she looked at the young blonde again, she was serious and thoughtful, "…and so are you. And I love you, too." The pair shared a quiet moment clasping each other's hands for a moment as they exchanged a look that spoke of feelings words could not express.

Bo walked up touched her sister on the shoulder, "It's time." The wolf shifter was behind her, looking grim and serious. Obviously he was the one who brought this to the Succubus' attention. She looked to the doctor, "I'm going to watch her enter the Temple, but I'll come back to wait with you."

"OK." Dr. Lewis nodded and released the Valkyrie, watching her walk through the doorway to the back room with her wife.

Once they were both in the room, the Valkyrie guard blocked the door, and Dyson returned to comfort Lauren. Despite her attempts to remain light-hearted, he could see she was worried and holding in the emotions she truly felt. They had been through a lot together, and didn't need to express what they felt aloud.

After a brief hug, he gestured for her to take a seat at the bar were Vex was comforting himself in his own way by helping himself to some top shelf liquor and making snide remarks to Evony about the stupidity of double crossing both the Mistress of Valhalla and Bo in one ill-conceived ploy. Mark shot his boyfriend a cautionary look, but the Morrigan took it all in stride.

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained Vex. Besides, it was all in good fun! I just needed Bo and everyone else to know I am still a mover and a shaker in the Colony! I knew Dagny wouldn't go for it! She's not as cold-blooded as her mother, unfortunately." Rolling her eyes she shook her empty glass at the Mesmer behind the bar for a refill.

"You tried to make Dagny your paid killer?! That isn't funny, Evony. On any level." Dyson snarled, but calmed down somewhat to smirk out, "I'm going to have to bring this up at the next Inter-Clan council meeting."

"Psshhhh, please Dyson! Don't insult me! You and I both know WE are the real teeth of the council until the Unaligned choose a leader. We can settle this, between friends! Besides, I think it's only fair a get a pass after I allowed Vex to get away with paying a visit to my captive Valhalla Barbie against orders! Don't tell me it wasn't for the benefit of our favorite couple who have been begging to see her!" Evony cooed out.

The Mesmer froze as the blood drained from his face; he nearly asked how she knew but immediately kicked himself for forgetting about the security cameras and believing security team wouldn't bring it to Evony's attention. Since the Morrigan hadn't mentioned it before, he assumed she wasn't made aware of his visit to Stacey. "I can explain…" he began, immobile and holding the drink he had made for his boss.

"I needed a DNA sample. For my research and cataloging." Lauren rescued the Mesmer, bold and unafraid knowing the tendencies of the fae to take things literally when making deals. All eyes turned to her, "You said we couldn't see her, you didn't say I couldn't get a sample from her. And Vex was the acting Morrigan. He made a deal in your absence to right a wrong your people committed and stopped a war in your name."

"See, Dyson! No harm done!" The toothy grin she displayed to the shifter held a bit of threat, and when she turned to address Dr. Lewis she was nothing if not condescending. "And I am so happy you are _so_ dedicated, Lauren, and in MY employ! I look forward to getting a report on the results of findings." Taking the drink from her subordinate, she sipped it and stared at the human over the rim.

Lauren turned away so Evony couldn't see her rolling her eyes in frustration. _Is there no end to this woman's pointless and endless scheming…_

 _ **In the back room…**_

The gateway was set up, and Bo worried immediately that Dagny had not practiced going through it as she had done before her own Dawning. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask about Acacia about this, until it occurred to her that Valkyrie can travel to other realms innately. But Acacia seemed to see her conjecturing in worry and addressed her, "We usually do this in Valhalla, but exceptions are made. She has reached her time of the Dawning unusually quickly, and I think you know why. Let's begin."

Bo swallowed and nodded. Her own Dawning came exceptionally early, though not as quickly as her sister who had the added accelerated growth of a Valkyrie. "Can I…have a moment?"

Acacia considered for a second, and then consented, "Alright but let me talk with her first." She pulled both Stacey and Dagny aside. The Succubus heard only bits of what was said, and from what she did hear it sounded like an instructive pep talk. Then, the Mistress of Valhalla drew herself up to her full height and said a few words in what the Succubus assumed was the ancient Valkyrie tongue. Both women before her nodded formally, after which Acacia placed a hand on each of their shoulders. After a moment, she released Stacey and pulled Dagny close, whispering something in her ear. Whatever it was caused the young woman to draw back quickly and look at her in shock as Acacia stared at her sternly. The elder Valkyrie gestured with her head for her to go and say her farewells to her sister, still with a grim look on her face.

Dagny hurried over to her sister and immediately wrapped her up into a tight hug, squeezing her eyes shut tightly. Bo was surprised but returned her embrace in kind. They, too, needed no words. They had already spoken them the night before, but nonetheless, she murmured comforting words of assurance as the young blonde simply nodded against her head. They Valkyrie pulled herself away hastily, and gave her sister a curt nod of acknowledgement her eyes reiterated that everything would work out. Both in her Dawning and between the pair.

"My grandfather, Trick, painted the symbol of the gateway on my forehead before I left for my Dawning. He said it was the key to my safe return. I can do that for you." Bo took a lipstick out of her pocket and drew the symbol on the Valkyrie's forehead, and then on the back of her hand to show her what it looked like. "When you know you are ready to leave, you will know what to do."

"Thank you, Bo." She smiled sadly.

"Go now, and accept your destiny." Acacia commanded, and the pair of Valkyrie stepped through the archway and disappearing as a glowing light enveloped them. The room grew darker, and the silence was awkward until the remaining Valkyrie sighed heavily. She looked at Bo waiting for the Succubus to turn away from the gateway. When she finally did, she told her, "You owe me, now, and I will allow you to buy me a drink to repay me."

"How do I owe…you? You made deals with Evony behind my back, you kidnap my WIFE, you send Stacey of all people into the Temple with my sister…not to mention the shady tricks you played with the revenants to get Tamsin to come back to you!" Bo was outraged and stepped threateningly close to the Mistress of Valhalla.

She was not intimidated, however, and snorted out a scathing chortle. "Well, can you honestly say I was wrong to try?" The Succubus' face fell at that, and Acacia continued, "Here is what I did for you – I told her I was responsible for her mother's death."

"Why…how…are you responsible?" Bo's questions stumbled out. This was unexpected.

"Why did I tell your sister that – because it's true. Not directly, of course. HE might try to fuck with her head – I need to armor her against this. How am I to blame – because I convinced Tamsin to go back to you. It's what she wanted. SHE could have ruled Valhalla; maybe she should have. But it wasn't what she wanted, and she would have been a liability to us if she had stayed and second guessed everything she did while pining away for you. I knew she might be killed, but I had no idea HE had planned _this_. She told me he mocked her and said she was released from their deal and could run. She probably would have had he not manipulated her. Or not; who knows? But he knew her too well. And I was the final push that sent her back, since she wasn't any use to us any more in her miserable state."

"That's heartless. She was your friend!" Bo's teeth were set on edge with the realization that her sister would soon be obligated to obey the commands of the callous woman in front of her. "Don't you **dare** treat my sister so coldly!" She marched right even closer and right into Acacia's personal space, not at all intimidated by the powerful Valkyrie.

The experience fae wasn't intimidated by her, either, "HA! Don't act like you weren't grateful your lovesick minion came back to help you, as useless as her help was! You could have sent her packing, and she would have come back to us with her tail tucked between her legs! I was kind of _expecting_ you to do just that! Tamsin would have learned her lesson then!" Acacia seemed to find the conversation much more amusing than Bo did.

"Is that why you condemned Stacey? To teach her a lesson?" the brunette asked, glaring at the Valkyrie. Despite her own personal distain for the Valkyrie, she wouldn't wish being trapped in the Dawning Temple on anyone.

"YES! And to punish her by making her do something useful to make up for it! She was trying to help your father's flunky, Freya. I stopped it before she even got a chance. I gave Stacey every chance to walk away, but even that **idiot** knows Freya cannot get the Brisingamen again! She and Hades will gain control of Valhalla if she does!" Acacia's eyes were wild as she ranted, but narrowed once she saw the reaction of the Succubus, and crossed her arms as she leaned closer to tell her in her ear, "You wouldn't happen to know…what Tamsin did with the Brisingamen, would you?"

"No…we…didn't talk much after she came back, except about what to do about Hades. She never mentioned it. I mean, I had just got back with Lauren, Tamsin got pregnant… then I was in a coma…Let me get you that drink." Bo took a step back and pointed vaguely towards the bar, then started for the doorway. But the Valkyrie guarding the exit with their backs to her didn't move and she paused to decide whether to risk pushing past them, fighting them or asking Acacia to order them to move. After all, it seemed like they were there to stop people from entering, not exiting.

"Funny that you know what it is if Tamsin didn't talk with you about it." Acacia walked up behind her and barked out an order to the guards. They parted to allow them to pass, and the Valkyrie gestured for her to go through. "But I accept your offer. However, in all honesty; I told Dagny what I did for her sake – not yours. You don't owe me; I just don't have any money."

Bo was angry for a split second at the smooth moves pulled on her all in pursuit of free booze, until she had a humorous epiphany she shared aloud after snorting out a derisive laugh through her nose, "I should have known better – why oh why are Valkyrie perpetually broke?"

"Alcohol is expensive." Acacia deadpanned.

Bo stopped their exit with an arm in front of the other woman beside her, and looked into her pale eyes, "Fair enough. But, what was it you said to Dagny and Stacey in your language?"

"Fight well. Die well."

 _ **In the Temple…**_

After walking through the archway and being enfolded in a brilliant white light, the pair of Valkyrie found themselves in a room that resembled the Dal. It seemed as if by walking through the portal they had walked through the front door of the way station. Once the light fully faded away, it was all the more creepy when they found themselves in the room alone.

"What…the…fuck…" Dagny looked around for the loved ones she knew should be in the room. She had expected some sort of classical Roman style columned temple, or in fact anything unfamiliar to her.

Stacey sighed, "It's a mind fuck, Dagny. Just remember to listen to me, and you will get out of here."

"Oh right." _Yeah, maybe this was a bad idea…I'm not so sure Stacey could figure out how to pull her hand out of a paper bag let alone this place! Still, I'm sure she has beef with me…_ "Hey, Stacey…" the older Valkyrie had dropped onto a barstool to wait for something, "…I'm sorry Bo turned you in to the Morrigan. I didn't think she would do that, and I'm sorry I couldn't stop her."

Her sister Valkyrie shrugged absent mindedly "'S all right. She was my last hope. Now you are."

"Did Evony…hurt you?" Dagny asked, cautiously as she walked up to stand directly in front of her.

"No. And the alternative she offered was worse, believe me!" she gave her companion a horrified look that spoke of her desire to drop the subject.

The young fae nodded and dropped her head. "So…now what?" she looked up to capture her Hand's gaze, "We just sit here and talk?"

"NO! You enter the bowels of the Temple and prove yourself! Then at least one of you may leave!" A strange man spoke up cheerfully, dressed in coveralls and standing in the doorway to the back room of the bar. After both women turned to look at him he added, "Oh great, Valkyrie again." He shook his head in disappointment, "Step through, yada yada yada….you know the drill."

 _No I don't…_ Dagny thought as Stacey jumped to her feet and pulled her along. She shot the shorter woman a look of confusion that was ignored since the other Valkyrie was addressing the strange man, "Thanks Caretaker; I do know. Good to see you again!" she touched his shoulder lightly.

"You might not be so cocky later!" he smirked, "This one looks like she isn't cut from the same cloth as the rest of you!"

"Don't judge a book by its cover!" Stacey shot back as they moved into the other room.

They entered the back room which suddenly became dark, until Dagny could hardly see the hand in front of her. In the distance, she could see a dim light behind a closed door and headed quickly towards it. She could hear some one singing softly from the other side, but hesitated to open the door. Looking over her shoulder, she could barely make out Stacey close enough behind her she was able to maintain her hold on her shirtsleeve. There were loud growls from the darkness growing closer, and the more experienced woman encouraged her to continue with a nod, "Remember, when you see me again – listen to me. Do what I tell you to do."

 _What the hell is she talking about? We are going through this door together!_ Dagny thought, but nodded in return in the darkness as she tightened her grip on the door knob. Just as the sounds of the invisible threat grew close enough that it became frightening she turned the door knob and pushed into the room. It was bright, but not as much as when they passed through the gateway. Early morning sunshine was pouring through the window of a small kitchen and a tall blonde woman with her hair pulled tightly into a neat bun was singing softly to herself as she bent over to check on whatever was baking in the oven.

The angry animal sounds had cut off immediately and were similarly instantly forgotten by the Valkyrie staring in disbelief at the domestic scene in front of her as she froze in the doorway. The woman had her back to her, and was dressed in a knee length sundress with an apron tied over it. Stacey shoved her farther into the room and slammed the door behind them. The noise garnered the attention of the stranger, and she turned around quickly leaving the oven door open in her surprise. "DAGNY! You are in DEEP trouble young lady!" Her green eyes were opened wide in shock, but her forehead was wrinkled in anger. She stared at the silent pair who had burst through the back porch door. When neither of them spoke, she slammed the oven door shut and crossed her arms, glaring at the pair, "Well, what do you have to say for yourself?"

The young Valkyrie stood stock still, her mind roiling trying to make sense of the situation. This was _not_ her house; this woman was _not_ someone she could remember ever meeting. But she DID know who she was – it was Tamsin. "M…mom?!" She grew dizzy, and the woman mistook her confusion for the obvious reason a teenager sneaking in the back door just after dawn might be confused and disoriented.

"Thanks. Thanks, Stacey for keeping her out all night and letting her get drunk! I will speak to your sister about this! She has final exams this week!" Tamsin, or the illusion of Tamsin, said sarcastically and pulled the distressed girl over to the kitchen table and pushed her into a chair. "SIT!" she turned to the other blonde. "And YOU! Get your ass out of here, now!" Dawning Tamsin glowered.

Stacey wasn't impressed, and expressed her feelings definitively, "Pssshhhhh, puh-lease!" she snorted through her nose, "What are you going to do about it…HUMAN! Wanna go a few rounds with a Valkyrie?"

Tamsin had been leaning down worrying over her obviously distressed and disoriented daughter, but straightened up to her full height and approached the Valkyrie. She glared at her and crossed her arms, "No. But I think my WIFE will, when she comes downstairs for breakfast. I suggest you take your traveling medicine show back on the road before she gets down here." She raised an eyebrow threateningly that and it was easily perceived by the short blonde.

Stacey caved; "Fine – I'll leave…for now. I'll be back. Smell ya later, Tam Tam!" she waggled her fingers in a farewell and walked out the back door. Dagny looked up, she didn't' want her to go. She searched her mind for the reason, since she was already in trouble and didn't want to anger her mother or her partner. But the reason for her distress was gone, and only confusion was left to be found in her thoughts. _I shouldn't have gotten so drunk last night! I can't even remember what happened. Now I am in sooo much trouble when she gets downstairs….no, she'll help me! She always does! Wait, who?_

"I smell homemade biscuits!" a joyful and familiar voice boomed as the sounds of someone descending the stairs grew ever louder in the kitchen. Once she entered the room, the blonde looked around the room and gauged the mood of her wife accurately but mistook the reason. "Oh….no….Hey, sorry about staying so late! Ran into some Red Caps last night, and I had to heal. I hope you understand." She hurried over and kissed her wife on the cheek and rubbed her back briefly as she searched her light green eyes for signs of absolution. Tamsin remained stone cold silent and staring straight ahead. "Tam…please…we talked about this. I'm a Succubus; you can't sustain me on your own."

She sighed and dropped her head, "Lauren….no. It's not that. Dagny was out all night with Stacey, getting drunk and doing gods know what! This has to stop, or she will become a degenerate like her aunt!"

"Oh…Stacey! Right." Succubus Lauren nodded, relieved this wasn't about her nocturnal activities. "I'll talk with Bo about her sister – she'll make sure it doesn't happen again."

Tamsin lifted her head and looked into Lauren's eyes, "Is that what you were doing last night? Letting Bo touch you again! We had an agreement! I know you don't love her anymore, but she has never let you go, Lauren!"

"I am STILL here!" Dagny slammed her palms on the table and stood up so clumsily the chair tipped over and clattered to the floor. Things were beginning to make sense to her, or at least the reality of this world was taking shape rapidly in her mind and overwhelming what she knew to be true. She glared at the pair. "She is my REAL mother! Don't talk about her like that in front of me!"

"Dagny, don't…I'm sorry! I still love Bo, but only as a very dear friend! After all, she gave you to us to raise!" the Succubus turned her attention to her wife, "Tam, please believe me! I wouldn't do that to you!" Lauren pleaded and pulled the human Tamsin into a hug. "Dyson healed me, it's alright." The human Tamsin sighed and relaxed at her confession. They were in love, in this world. But given Lauren's past relationship with the Valkyrie – they had agreed Bo was off limits as a feeding partner, if not her one time fling and father of Dagny, Dyson.

Dagny sat slumped back into her chair and hung her head, holding it in her hands. Her biological father had healed her adopted mother. Her father was hopelessly infatuated with Lauren who never returned his feelings. No one ever mentioned the fact, even though they affirmed it to each other in knowing looks. And she wasn't about to bring it up, either. But she didn't want to see her mothers share those looks again just the same. And they did, grimly, just as the door bell rang.

The young Valkyrie hoped it was Stacey, returning to rescue her from this awkward situation. Of course, it wasn't.


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N: Just one thing – I am working on the assumption that Dyson fell under the spell of the illusions of the Temple because he was in love with Bo and was happy that they were together in that world. He regained his senses just in time, but Stacey isn't in love with Dagny and so isn't tempted by the fantasy of the Temple. And yes, I hated the Dawning episode, too. Kind of a WTF episode for me, and very dry. I tried to spice this one up – but still tough considering they didn't elaborate about it much in the show. Thanks for reading/reviewing.**

Dawning of a Valkyrie

Chapter 32: Revelations in and out of the Temple

Acacia sipped her whiskey and savored the lingering taste with a smack of her lips. "Thank you, Bo. It's been a long time since I've had quality bourbon. It's good to enjoy the small things in life." The Succubus had replaced Vex behind the bar to fetch the promised drink for the Valkyrie as the Mesmer was a participant in the impromptu meeting Dyson insisted on having with Evony and the council members. Lauren walked up to the bar after Mark had finished talking with her and left to join the group at the back of the bar.

"Excuse me, Acacia. Do you mind if I speak to my wife?" the doctor asked.

"No. Go right ahead." The Valkyrie took another drink and eyed her suspiciously.

The Lauren saw this, but her wife, oblivious to the moment between the pair said quickly, "Of course, Lauren. Acacia, do you mind?"

But the doctor thought back to the discussion she had in Valhalla, and decided against talking privately with the Succubus. They had all acted in secrecy because they lacked faith in each other's intentions. There was nothing to be gained by further damaging what little trust had been established between them and Valhalla. And Valkyrie, for all their showy toughness could be emotionally volatile and easily offended by a perceived slight, no matter how minor in nature. Acacia's raised eyebrows and know-it-all smirk before she gulped the rest of her whiskey testified to the fact that Lauren's assessment was correct. "Not at all; I can take a hint. Ladies…"She didn't leave, however, as the doctor stopped her with a raised hand.

"Oh, it's alright, Acacia, you can stay. I just wanted to ask…Bo, don't you think you should take part in their discussion? You do represent the Unaligned fae, even if you aren't their leader." She pointed at the other occupants of the Dal, talking quietly, but their conversation was animated by gestures and shaking of their heads.

"No, I think Dyson and the rest of the council have this covered. I'd rather just wait here with you." Bo laid a hand over her wife's across the bar and smiled comfortingly at her.

"Ok. But she is obviously up to no good, and she is even more dangerous now that she is fae again." she shot a look at the Valkyrie, who seemed bemused.

Acacia laughed, "She's not fae! It's all just glamour to fool the minions. But she will be fae, soon. I'm not stupid enough to give her so much power before I get what I want, and have an agent keeping that back-stabbing bitch in check."

"Dagny – that's why you wanted her to work for Evony. Why didn't you just tell us?" Bo asked, somewhat offended.

"Psshhhh….please, that doesn't even deserve an answer. Especially since you are hiding the Brisingamen from me. Hit me again, bartender." She pushed her empty glass across the bar and gave Bo a wicked grin of self-satisfaction.

The Succubus looked down at the glass and said as she poured more whiskey into it, "What do you want it for?" There was no point in denying it; even if she did Acacia would still believe she had it. And it was the truth.

"I don't want it. _**I**_ don't need it; I know how to lead people without dominating their will through magic. I want to keep it away from Freya until I can figure out how to destroy it. Keep it hidden, Bo. He doesn't know you have it, yet, but he'll figure it out soon. And thanks for the drinks." She toasted the Succubus and raised the glass to her lips, tipping it up and drinking the contents in one go this time as she tried to take her leave again.

"Why does Hades want Freya to have the Brisingamen?" Lauren asked to the retreating Valkyrie.

She didn't turn around when she answered, "For the same reason he decided to sire a Valkyrie child after Freya lost her fucking necklace – where's the fun in killing people if his rebellious Succubus daughter can bring them back to life?" As the Valkyrie guard parted for her she did stop and turn around, "She'll never be as powerful as you, Bo. You are the Queen - Heir of the Blood King; but she will be powerful – and extremely dangerous under the wrong influence." Without waiting for a reply she left the room.

Lauren turned to Bo, "If Freya had the Valkyrie take the dead souls away…"

"…I couldn't have returned their chi and bring them back! Maybe that's why he gave up so easily – Freya couldn't hold up her part of the plan!" Bo laid both her palms on the bar and leaned forward as she and Lauren shared a look of dread.

They were so engrossed in each other, they didn't notice the woman who had slunk up beside Lauren until she reached out and touched Bo's hand gently, "Hey, sexy! I forgot my purse. How about a free drink? I can pay you back…"

 _ **In the Dawning Temple…**_

A sudden lurch and hiss of air brakes woke up the young Valkyrie with a start. She sat up and looked around quickly. The school bus – she fell asleep on the bus. As the other students gathered up their bags and stood, she sat and tried to remember how she got here. None of these kids were her friend, she didn't have any. Well, she did have one, sort of. _Oh yeah, I was out all night with Stacey – Tamsin caught me. Then…of course Bo came over, and I had to listen to her bullshit about how much she loves me and how I should listen to my adoptive parents. If she cared about me, she wouldn't have given me up for someone else to raise. At least Dyson didn't come over today and offer me a ride to school again; I can't stand to be around him when all he does is ask about Lauren. He is so fucking miserable it makes me feel like shit._

"I haven't got all day, you know! And neither do you!" the middle-aged bus driver shouted, looking at her in the rear view mirror and it brought her back to reality.

"Yeah, yeah." Dagny sighed and made her way to the front of the bus. She clomped down the stairs with her head down, trying to think positive thoughts to help her through the day. She stood on the sidewalk, unsure what to do as the bus left. She had Ms. Malikov's class today – that was something to look forward to. She loved the teacher's stories about her travels around the world, and could relate to her bubbly personality easily. But she also had to meet with the school counselor again, not fun. She lifted her head to see Stacey standing in front of her.

"You're just in time! I didn't think you would make it! You're tougher than you look." the Valkyrie smirked. _That fucking Caretaker is a crafty bastard, driving her away from where I knew she was…_ she thought to herself. The bus driver was indeed the Keeper of the Temple.

"Stacey! What are you doing here, and why are you dressed like that?" the young fae asked. The older Valkyrie was dressed not in her usual jeans and t-shirt and was decked out in camouflage from head to toe topped off with a ball cap.

The short blonde grinned and grabbed her by the arm, turning her around, "You are ditching class today -I'm taking you hunting! It's time you learned something useful."

"I am not a killer! And you are going to get me in trouble – again! Your sister, Bo, even came over to bitch me out today! Like she thinks she has a right to chew me out just because she gave birth to me." Dagny whined and struggled to get out of her grasp.

"Bitch, please! You're a Valkyrie! We are all killers, and our first victim is our own mother when we are born!" Stacey blurted out.

Dagny mustered enough strength to succeed in freeing her arm with that statement which she knew to be a lie. "My mother is still alive, Stacey. Your sister… I just told you she came over today. What the fuck are you talking about? You're high, aren't you? You are tripping! Don't try to make me feel like I'm crazy, everyone always does that to me!"

The Valkyrie acting as Hand panicked, "Oh shit…you _are_ in deep!" she tried to redirect quickly, and shook her head, "No, I'm not high. But your father likes to hunt – I'm sure it will make him proud and cheer him up if you went out with him sometime. He is so lovesick…maybe you can help him move on. You don't want to go in there and listen to the other kids make fun of your fucking dysfunctional ass family again, anyways – do you?"

The young fae looked away, chewing her lower lip and remembering he had another tryst with the object of his affection, Lauren, just the night before, "OK, but I'm not killing anything." _He doesn't care about me – he just went along with Bo's wishes to give me up to make Lauren happy. Can't he see she will never love him? Maybe I can get close to him by getting to know him better, and he can get over Lauren. Ugh, or at least stop sleeping with her…_

Stacey breathed a sigh of relief, "It's called hunting not killing, just like it's called fishing not catching. You can still have a good time!" _Baby steps…she has to walk before she can run. And she has to learn…_

They climbed into Stacey's truck and took off, just before the last tardy bell rang in the school. After the last echo died off, a man exited the front door and searched the surrounding area eagerly looking for something or someone. It was Hades. He smiled in amusement, "You can't hide from me forever, Dagny."

 _ **Back at the Dal…**_

Bo felt a surge of charm going up her arm and pulled it away in anger. It was Saia, and she was shocked that the Qarinah had the gall to pull such a stunt. Surely the woman knew who she was, and she most certainly did know. The would be seductress began laughing as the Succubus stared at her wide eyed and furious but unfazed, "Sorry, I had to try! You should see the look on your face! Priceless!"

The Succubus was beyond pissed off, but kept herself together as she leaned on the bar again, "And you should know better than to fuck with the wrong person! Bar's closed." She snarled.

"Tsk, tsk…such language. And in front of your wife!" she leered at Lauren for a few moments, assessing her sexual desirability. "Not bad for a human, I suppose. But back to business – you served the Valkyrie; you can serve me, too."

"Oh, my bad…the bar is off-limits to YOU – and so is my SISTER!" Bo hissed, eyes glowing now with the power running through her begging to be unleashed.

"Bo…" Lauren touched her arm, and gave her a look of alarm. It wasn't prudent to start another clan dispute with the Inter-Clan council in the bar. Her wife turned away from the impudent Qarinah and saw the doctors' pleading gaze.

Saia slapped out a short tattoo on the bar top with her hands. She grinned, "Got it – no alcohol for me. But I think your sister can make up her own mind about what she wants, especially after her Dawning." She sashayed back to the others with a wave over her shoulder.

"I get the distinct impression that you don't like her…" Lauren stated to lighten the mood.

 _ **In the Temple…**_

As they picked their way through the woods carefully, Stacey grew more and more agitated at her companion. She kept droning on about how Tamsin would be disappointed in her, and how she didn't want to let her down. "Stacey, she already feels bad about not being able to sustain Lauren! I don't want to make her cry again….and Bo…yeah, she is going to be PISSED! I don't feel so well; I think I'm getting the flu or something…I should just go home and face the music; tell them I'm ill and that's why I skipped school. Are you even listening to me?"

The older Valkyrie stopped, "Are you even listening to YOURSELF? None of this is _**real**_! We need to get out of here before it is too late! Before the rest of them find us!" She whispered as slung her shotgun and grabbed the taller blonde by the shoulders, "Look at me – you are a Valkyrie. Time to do your duty for Valhalla!" She let go of the distressed fae and pulled out a large hunting knife.

"Get the FUCK away from me! I'm not going to let you KILL me!" Dagny shouted, much to the dismay of her hunting partner.

"Shhhh! No! I'm not trying to kill you! Please…keep it down!" Stacey pleaded in a hushed voice, looking around the woods in alarm. "They'll hear you, Dagny! They'll find us!" _Shit,shit, SHIT! I tried too soon…but HE is here!_

"So, THEY'LL hear me Stacey! No one is anywhere near us! Who will hear me - the voices in your HEAD?! YOU are a fucking IDIOT! I don't know why I ever _listened_ to you in the first place! They _already_ think I'm crazy! I'm leaving!" Dagny roared out at the top of her lungs, and backed away. She held her own shotgun at the ready praying the other Valkyrie didn't know she had no idea how to use it. But she was troubled and hesitated– only this morning she wanted Stacey to help her sort out her life. There had to be a reason she trusted her. _I didn't listen to her before and it turned out she was right. But I can't remember what it was about…_

Stacey sheathed her knife, and then stood stock still in alarm as they heard the swoop of large wings beating against the air. It was too late, someone _had_ heard them. They looked up to see Bo materialize in a flash of light with her brilliant white wings flapping gently as she landed gracefully on her feet between the pair. "Stacey…" she left her wings out as she confronted her sister, and they flexed and shivered in an expression of her anger, "…go home. Leave my daughter alone. Lauren is furious, and Tamsin is so upset she can't stop crying!"

"Oh, your _friend_ is furious. And her wife, whom you couldn't give two shits about, is crying. So you put them above your own sister and ' _daughter'_. I am not one of your flunkies, Bo. You can't just order me around. **You** go home! Back to the one you truly love –Lauren." Stacey played along with the charade of the Temple, but it did have a dual meaning that struck a chord with Dagny. Bo shook her head, she had no words. "You **do** love Lauren, don't you? You two – are a couple!" Stacey persisted and stepped closer.

Bo shook with anger and frustration, "Lauren is with Tamsin. Lauren…doesn't love me anymore. And I am no longer in love with Lauren."

"That's not true. And no one here believes that, or any of the fucking words that come out of your mouth! Tell me I'm wrong – I dare you!" The Hand continued, she was watching Dagny carefully and felt the doubt beginning to take root in the young fae whenever Bo denied being in love with Lauren.

"Mom….er, Bo – it's OK. I asked her to help me skip school. It's my fault. I'm fine. I need to do this for my Valkyrie training…we can talk later." Dagny stuttered out, now resistant to leave the company of Stacey. She was beginning to suspect that her 'aunt' was on to something.

"You haven't been taking your prescriptions, have you Dagny? Well, you are _not_ going to miss your counseling appointment." she took the gun away from her and handed it to Stacey. "You are as hopeless as your father!" she gathered her up in a rough embrace and they disappeared into thin air.

"SHIT!" Stacey cursed, her plan foiled just when she was starting to break through. _Where would she take her….? The school!_ "Damn it!" the Valkyrie dropped both guns on the ground and ran for all she was worth back to her truck.

 _ **In the Dal…**_

Dyson walked over to Bo and Lauren, blowing out a long breath as Vex and Mark tagged along behind him. The rest of the council members filtered out of the Dal, Evony included. It was only family left in the bar, with the exception of the Valkyrie guarding the door. The Succubus gazed at them as the men joined her and Lauren. "What do you think they are here for, Dyson?"

"I don't know. But it isn't normal. Nothing is, anymore." He seemed consumed by veltschmertz, and she poured him a drink.

"So, did you accomplish anything with Evony?" Lauren asked, and he shook his head.

"Not really. She hasn't violated any laws…but she did piss off Acacia. So…who knows what will come of that." He toasted her, and she smiled back at him.

"I'm sure a Valkyrie isn't going to let that go…Tamsin was on my ass like a dirty diaper when I double crossed her! Bo had to hold her back." Mark laughed, hoping to cheer everyone up. They did laugh with him at the memories.

Bo grinned, "That's true enough!"

 _ **In the Temple…**_

She was back at school, waiting alone in the counselor's office. Bo made sure she kept her appointment, but left her alone there. She didn't want to cause any more friction between Lauren and Tamsin by staying for the meeting. Dagny had already done enough to strain their relationship with her rebellious and frighteningly reckless behavior. Dagny chewed the nail of her thumb as she waited for the school counselor to show up when she heard sobbing coming from the waiting room. It was Tamsin, her adopted mother. She turned in her chair and ventured a peek through the closed blinds, and what she saw shook her to her very being.

It wasn't the familiar waiting room, it was a room with a golden cage. Oddly, it looked as if it were a bizarre nursery, with a crib and wooden rocking horse. And in the cage was a heavily pregnant Tamsin, wailing and pleading to Bo to help her. "He's going to take my baby, Bo!" There was blood running down her back as clear mucus ran freely from her nose with no attempted interdiction from the broken woman. As she gave up and curled slowly into a ball on the floor heaving out sobs now in silence, Dagny could hear Bo laughing and talking to another person, although she couldn't see them. Tamsin hitching in a deep breath and tried again, "Bo, he took my w-"

"Dagny!" the door opened and the school counselor entered with a softly sobbing Tamsin and silently fuming Lauren, startling her out of her nightmare. She nearly fell out of her chair, and again regretted her decision to go out with her rowdy Valkyrie friend the night before.

"Sorry, Mr. Shade. I must have fallen asleep." She was beginning to sweat now, causing strands of her hair to stick to the side of her face. She felt feverish, and breathed heavily trying to recover. Something wasn't right; she could feel it and wished she would have listened to Stacey in the woods. _I feel just like I did that time back in my room when Lauren caught me and Stacey in my room…no – Bo caught me…but Lauren was there…nope – it's gone. Damnit!_ She thought, frustrated that the thoughts faded like a dream even though the memory of the nightmare was still vivid in her mind.

The counselor dropped down to look her in the eyes, sitting on his heels as looked her in the eyes, "Don't you think you should be apologizing to your mother, after all – you made her cry." He said gently.

Dagny stared back at him; something about him set her on edge. She knew him; she saw him once a week, for her issues. She shouldn't feel so threatened, but she did as words came unbidden into her mind, _"He_ _ **will**_ _try to get into your head, just like I did – all too easily."_ Who better to get into her head than a psychologist? He reached out and gently encouraged her to her feet, and she flinched at his touch.

"You look ill; maybe you should go home with your parents." He said and smiled kindly at her, but the twinkling in his eyes spoke of nefarious intentions.

"They aren't my fucking parents." She hissed out and jerked away from his grasp.

Lauren's eye's flashed blue, and she rushed forward to slap the young Valkyrie with hard enough to knock her to one side hold the seat of the chair behind her to keep herself from hitting the ground. She was full on raging, hollering about upsetting her wife but Dagny heard little of what she was ranting about after that. _Well…should have seen that coming. After all, it's not the first time Lauren slapped me for insulting my birth mother, Tamsin. I mean Bo…that doesn't make sense…..But, either way it would have gotten worse if Lauren hadn't…Lauren…this isn't Lauren…this isn't who I am…_ the young Valkyrie thought, and grew enraged.

She stood slowly and stepped forward threateningly towards the trio. Tamsin finally broke her silence, "Yes, Jack. You're right – we'll take her home. She's not well. She doesn't know what she is talking about! Lauren, leave her alone!"

Dagny ached all over, and the pain in shoulder blades took top billing. She began shaking in rage as sweat dripped down the side of her face. Jack looked concerned and said to Lauren and Tamsin, "Why don't you two wait outside for a few minutes while I talk to her? Please." They both nodded and left the room, closing the door behind them.

The Valkyrie was shocked and stared at the closed door as more memories flooded into her mind. _"I'm not leaving her alone here…" Lauren said that, I_ _ **know**_ _she did…Bo didn't give me up – she said she loved me and was happy I was in her life…this is wrong…I know it!...and Tamsin – I don't have any memories, only that nightmare I had just…oh no…Stacey – I need to find Stacey!_

Jack, or Mr. Shade, walked to his desk growing more aggressive, "Dagny I'm going to give you a sedative. It'll calm you down, and then we can have a chat, just the two of us." He smiled wickedly at her, at least it seemed wicked to her. The casual observer might have easily mistaken it for kindness and concern. As he searched through his desk, outside the window she heard the squeal of locked up brakes and screech of tires laying a trail of rubber on the pavement. Jack stopped and looked outside, turning back to his desk and hastily finding a syringe but saying nothing. A loud and persistent honking could be heard drifting into the room from outside, and they both knew it was Stacey.

The Valkyrie felt trapped now, and even though her mind couldn't think of a way out – her body did. She let out a roar of pain and hunched forward, feeling a tearing of flesh and skin that sought relief and found it as coal black feathered wings sprang from her shoulder blades unfurled themselves, flapping for just a few beats shaking blood drops unto the floor. Dagny looked up, eyes glowing faintly. Everything was clicking in her brain now as she thought, _I'm not the crazy one, this whole world is crazy! Stacey is right – all Valkyrie die in childbirth, school counselors don't give out sedatives, Bo and Lauren are a couple, and Dyson isn't the father who doesn't give a shit about me – HE is._ "Go fuck yourself."

Dagny ran forward the few steps to the window and jumped through it, breaking the glass. She was trying desperately to will her new found wings to take her safely to the ground as she fell. Instead they flapped only partially effectively and she tumbled awkwardly and painfully onto the ground two stories below. Stacey stood frozen in front of her and exclaimed, "Fuck me running!" The winged Valkyrie groaned and tried to get to her feet, and that sent the shocked Hand into action, "'Cmon girl, let's get you outa here!" She half dragged her to the truck, and then added, "You are gonna have to put those things away, Dagny, or you are riding in the bed!"

The younger Valkyrie was sweating profusely now, and panting heavily, "I…I don't think …I don't…know how…this isn't real…you told me...to listen to you…I don't feel…I'm sick…get me out…Lauren…she's a doctor…the real Lauren…" She turned her green eyes pleadingly to look at the Valkyrie that held her for some kind of answer as she fisted the sleeve of her camouflage shirt.

 _ **Back in the Dal…**_

The group at the bar grew restless now, all of them thinking that it was taking too long and there was a distinct possibility that Dagny might be devolving. Not one of them wanted to be the first to voice that thought. Dyson spun his empty glass slowly around, watching the ice melt as Bo rested her head heavily on her palm, elbow on the bar top. She opened her mouth to say something, but second guessed herself and closed it again. The Succubus let out a long sigh through her nose instead.

Vex turned and looked at her, his own concern evident in his expression and lack of jocularity when he spoke, "Yeah, that about sums it up. They feel it, too." he nodded towards the Valkyrie guarding the back room of the Dal. The Succubus turned her eyes to them, but didn't notice any difference in their well disciplined stature. At least not at first until after a few moments she noticed slight and quick furtive glances between the Valkyrie and almost imperceptible shifting of their shoulders and feet. She heard the sounds of heavy footfalls from the other room, and knew Acacia must be pacing to and fro in anticipation, worry, or both.

Suddenly the sounds of footfalls ceased, and so did the hardly noticeable fidgeting of the Valkyrie guard and they immediately became statuesque in their posture. They seemed to sense something the rest of the gathered company did not. Whether or not that was an omen of good or ill, none of them could tell. But they all turned their attention fully on the back room to try to catch a clue as to what was about to happen.

 _ **In the Temple…**_

"Fuck it – let's do this now!" Stacy braced herself mentally and gently set her companion down to sit against the truck tire, the younger woman moaning as she leaned against her wings. The older Valkyrie took her knife out again and Dagny looked at her less suspiciously than last time. "We are in the Dawning Temple, Dagny. And to get out, you have to know who you are – you are Valkyrie." She pressed the handle of the knife in her hand and lifted the tip of the blade to her own chest.

Dagny didn't wait for an explanation before she started objecting, "No…no – I can't! This isn't who I am! I'm not a killer!"

"I told you – we are all killers, and our own mother is our first victim! Do you want to become a slobbering chained beast for your father Hades to unleash on your precious family?!" Stacey began ranting, shaking her by the shoulders.

"No…no…I can't…I won't…" the young Valkyrie began crying.

"Dag…ny! I'm coming; I'll take care of that bitch for you!" she heard Jack calling from the building.

Stacey tried to reason with her, "Listen…it's our way. I am condemned to forfeit a life to help you – I accepted my fate! You're not really killing me; only you can open the door, and I'll be trapped here if you don't! We will both be damned! You are a Valkyrie; sooner or later you will have to kill someone – you HAVE to accept that! Just take my body out with you, Dagny, so I can be reborn. PLEASE!"

The sobbing Valkyrie could only shake her head in answer, her hair plastered to her head by sweat and her face so contorted in anguish she couldn't speak at all. She started to drop the knife, but her sister Valkyrie put a hand over hers to wrap it more firmly around the handle.

"STACEY! I didn't think you had it in you!" Jack said in a smarmy tone. He was just a few steps behind her now.

"DO YOUR FUCKING SACRED DUTY TO VALHALLA AND ACCEPT WHO YOU ARE OR YOU WILL FUCKING KILL US BOTH!" Stacy screeched in desperation.


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N: Last chapter! Thank you all for reading/reviewing/following/faving. I know shipping stories get the most readers, so I appreciate you guys – especially those that left feedback and/or questions. So, on that note: FrenChi (and anyone else who is wondering but didn't ask) vis-a-vis my other unfinished story, We Do These Things, see the end of the chapter.**

 **I will follow this up with a sequel about having a baby and Hades return, but I don't know how soon that will be. Won't be a super long time, though. Sorry if this one is a little sloppy. Work, fam and such.**

Dawning of a Valkyrie

Chapter 33: Priorities

Stacey was pleading with Dagny to kill her with a knife. The sobbing Valkyrie could only shake her head in answer, her hair plastered to her head by sweat and her face so contorted in anguish she couldn't speak at all. She started to drop the knife, but her sister Valkyrie put a hand over hers to wrap it more firmly around the handle.

"STACEY! I didn't think you had it in you!" Jack said in a smarmy tone. He was just a few steps behind her now.

"DO YOUR FUCKING SACRED DUTY TO VALHALLA AND ACCEPT WHO YOU ARE OR YOU WILL FUCKING KILL US BOTH!" Stacy screeched in desperation.

She didn't know if was anger, fear, or the sudden clear memory of Acacia's words to her that motivated her actions next. Dagny screamed and thrust the blade forward burying it to the hilt into her friend's chest while simultaneously pulling her close and willing herself somewhere else. Brilliant light engulfed everything around them, and when it faded – they were kneeling on the floor of the Dal, alone. Her illness and fever had vanished as well, and she knew the devolving had stopped forever this time. It was just as her Dawning had begun, and she was no longer confused now and knew they were still in the Temple since there were no people waiting for them. But she still had no idea how she got there as she laid her fallen sister carefully on the floor. There was nothing more she could do to save her – it was a fatal blow.

"Stacey…I'm so sorry…" she leaned over and sobbed to her mortally wounded friend. When she did, her wings folded gently and retracted into her body as if they had a mind of their own.

"You did…good…Pr-promise me…take me…" she swallowed, blood dribbling from her mouth, "…take me with you…" she weakly grabbed a hold of her killer's shirt. "He'll…try…to stop …" she trailed off, and grew limp. She would say nothing more and her bright blue eyes glazed over as her life force faded. Dagny sobbed harder, not knowing what to do now that her Hand could no longer help her. _She said I had to be the one to open the door…I wanted to get out of the Temple and ended up here…so-_

"Ah, Dagny. Congratulations, you made it." the Caretaker crooned, entering the room from the back of the bar. "You are free to go. I can show you the way out, but you have to leave her. Go back to your family; this one belongs to me…and HIM."

The Valkyrie stood up slowly without a word, gathering her fallen comrade in her arms. There was no more crying from her; she was done with it and knew she had to be strong. For herself, for Stacey, and for everyone she loved and said nothing to him as he raised protests and started issuing threats. She made her way to the front door of the Dal, and turned around to face him as she shoved the door open with her buttocks. A bright light, too bright for sunlight filled the room, as she gave him her parting words, "I am a Valkyrie. I come and go as I please and I don't leave my fallen sisters on the battlefield. Fuck you and fuck him."

 _ **In the Dal…**_

The flash of light that signaled the opening of the Dawning Temple portal was bright enough to catch the attention of the people waiting anxiously in the front of the bar. Dyson looked quickly at Bo, wanting to warn to her wait. But it was too late – she was off and running the down the length of the bar towards the back room and he was unable to stop her from where he sat. The cadre of Valkyrie tensed somewhat, disinclined to disobey their orders but equally not wanting to enter into a stand-off with the Dark Queen. Even the inhabitants of Valhalla had heard of the unbelievable power the Succubus could unleash.

"I need to see my sister. Move aside." Bo was aware of the anger and frustration bubbling to the surface in her, and bit back on them by calmly giving an order to the guards as if she were their commander. She thought she saw the silhouette of her sister outlined by the light, but when it faded she couldn't see her anymore.

The apparent leader spoke to her, unafraid. "You will see her very soon, Queen of Fae, but we cannot let you pass. Please be patient."

The Succubus was nonplussed by the polite yet determined response; these were not any kind of Valkyrie she was used to dealing with and she had expected a snarky insult or arrogant refusal. She didn't move or speak for a moment as the shock of their response left her wondering if they were more typical of Tamsin and Acacia's belligerent mannerisms in their off-duty time.

Her hesitation gave Dyson enough time to catch up to her after he pushed past Lauren, Mark, and Vex still seated at the bar to reach her. He leaned in close to speak softly in her ear, "Bo, don't…"

"I want to see my sister…NOW!" The wolf's cautionary advice did nothing but encourage her anger, and she shouted at the cadre and glared at them with glowing blue eyes bearing witness to her power.

 _ **In the Back Room…**_

Dagny staggered through the portal, and as it vanished she fell to her knees with Stacey in her arms. She didn't know how she would explain her horrific deed to Bo or Lauren, and was surprised when they weren't in the room to greet her. Instead, Acacia knelt down and gently pried the dead woman from her arms to lay her on the floor. "She has done her duty, Dagny. Now it is time to do yours. Did you see him?"

The young Valkyrie nodded, unable to form words.

"Did he…touch you?" she continued.

She shook her sweat-soaked head, biting her lower lip and still staring at Stacey's body remorsefully.

" **Stand up**." Acacia commanded, now less gentle and more authoritative.

"I killed her!" Dagny exclaimed in a sob that she tried unsuccessfully to stop by from growing into a full-blown breakdown by closing her mouth and eyes tightly afterwards. The tears began again as she snorted out her sorrow through her nose.

The Mistress of Valhalla pulled her to her feet without any sign of sensitivity to her emotional turmoil, "Get your ass up!" She grabbed both sides of her head with her hands and ordered the young woman, "Look at me." Once the watery green eyes met her gaze she continued, "You didn't end her life – **I** did. For a very, _**very**_ , good reason. You SAVED her. She knew that before, and she will know it again. It was her choice to make. She had to help you see what you are capable of doing – making hard choices. Deciding what is the right choice and following through with it, no matter the cost. " Dagny nodded her understanding and acceptance.

Both of them turned their heads to look at the doorway when they heard Bo angrily challenging the Valkyrie guard. "I better go; she's about to go DEFCON 4." The young fae stated, sniffling as she tried to control her emotions.

"Yes, go show her you succeeded before she attacks your Valkyrie sisters. She has no fucking discipline or patience. But wait for me in the other room." Acacia concurred, and when she got an affirmative nod in answer, she walked her to the doorway and the Valkyrie parted for them without receiving an order to do so. Dagny walked through the gauntlet to stand in front of her astonished sister, who was now flanked by both Dyson and Lauren.

"Bo, please – I'm sure…" the doctor was saying, but trailed off as the woman in question was now back.

Acacia didn't follow, and the cadre closed ranks behind her. Their blocking of the back room no longer mattered to the Succubus once her sister was standing in front of her. "Dagny!" she said in a voice barely above a whisper, her expression one of both relief and disbelief. She stepped forward embraced her sister, reaching a hand up to pull her damp head closer to her own. Bo wanted to say something else, but could find nothing worth putting into words. She closed her eyes as she held the young fae, simply grateful the Valkyrie was safe and returned her gesture in kind.

"I'm OK, Bo…I'm Ok…" she whispered into the dark silky hair of her sister.

But the Succubus had noticed her wet hair and pulled back, grasping her head as Acacia had done just a few minutes ago. "Are you sure?" her dark eyes darted back and forth slightly as she searched the Valkyrie's own for any sign of distress. And she found it, in the tear-stained face and red and puffy red eyes. "Dagny…what happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it." the Valkyrie stated with finality.

"Bo, please! She needs time to come to terms with her Dawning." Lauren inserted herself between the two and hugged the young fae briefly, but pulled back quickly to give her a medical assessment. She pressed her palm against her forehead, and when she felt assured her body temperature was normal, moved on to check the glands on her neck.

"Lauren…I'm fine. I-" she started, but was interrupted by her sister.

"-you're bleeding!" Bo exclaimed, looking at her own hand she had placed on the tall blonde's back.

Dr. Lewis stopped and looked at her wife, and seeing the evidence turned back to the young Valkyrie, "Dagny, what-"

"I said I don't want to talk about it!" she was growing more desperate now, and even more resolute in her determination.

"Let it go for now, please. She passed her Dawning – give her some space." Dyson threw his two cents in, but was ignored – sort of.

"Ok, we don't have to talk, but I need to do a full workup on you. Obviously something happened. Let's go." Lauren was ever a doctor, and now even more concerned.

"NO! Not yet! I promised to wait for Acacia." Dagny dug in her heels and refused to move when Lauren tried to tug her along. Lauren looked at her in shock; she had almost always done what the doctor asked of her. The taller blonde smiled despondently at her, "And I made a promise to you, too."

The human stared for a moment, and then remembered the necklace and pendant she had given her before entering the Temple. "You did." She pulled the promised object, the token feather her mother had left behind, out of her pocket and placed it in the Valkyrie's hand in the same manner it was given to her. "Welcome back." Lauren smiled warmly at her, and the twitching of the corners of the young woman's mouth attested to the fact that she was attempting to return the expression with limited success. She was simply too emotionally drained to express herself effectively.

But Bo had taken note of their interaction and thought back to her own Dawning and the vision of her father holding her as a baby. That was the only real thing she had seen, and it fueled her desire to know if Dagny had a similar vision and so attempted to reengage her in conversation about it. "Did you see him? I mean…our father?"

Dagny turned from Lauren and scowled at her, eyebrows furrowed as she debated how to answer the question before settling on letting her expression speak for itself. Before her sister could decide whether to walk back her question or press her further, Vex and Mark intervened. They had given them enough private time and moved forward to offer their congratulations. "Well done, Tamsin 2.0! I knew you would make it! Never had a doubt!"

"Me either! I mean – congratulations, Dagny!" Mark awkwardly blurted out.

Dagny looked a bit dazed, but smiled weakly at the pair all the same. But her sister grabbed her shoulders and by default her attention once again, "Dagny, it's important – did you see Hades? What did he say to you? What did he show you?" she asked urgently.

"Dagny, what happened to your back?" Dr. Lewis had taken advantage of the distraction to investigate the source of the blood on Bo's hand.

The Valkyrie pulled away from all of them, taking a few steps back. She was not ready to discuss what happened in the Temple. "Can you two just drop it already? I just want to take a shower and go to bed!"

Another bright light coming from the backroom of the Dal interrupted before the situation could escalate into a full-fledged fight between the trio. They all turned to look over the heads of the Valkyrie guard, staining to hear what was going on. Bo immediately became anxious, thinking perhaps her father had used the Temple gateway to reenter their lives and attack them. She was relieved when she heard Acacia's voice talking soothingly, and when she spoke louder to exclaim "You little SHIT!" she heard another voice, a child's voice. There was a scrambling sound and scraping of chairs and then the Valkyrie's footfalls grew closer along with the growling of a young child. "Get OUT of the way!" the Mistress of Valhalla bellowed in a strained voice to her guard, and they parted post haste to allow her to enter the bar.

Everyone stared in shocked silence as the armored warriors parted to allow Acacia to enter the room carrying a small blonde toddler of about three years in age. Vex snickered, and one of the Valkyrie guard nearly joined him in expressing his amusement. She closed her eyes and tightly pursed her lips to stop herself from laughing at the sight. The girl was dressed only in a T-shirt, so large it was more like a full length dress. One hand had a fistful of Acacia's hair and the other had a finger hooked into the Mistress's mouth and was pulling on it painfully. Once the Mistress was standing in front of Dagny, she handed her the tow-headed child – first pulling the finger out of her mouth, and then disengaging her tightly clasped little fingers from her hair with a grimace once the younger Valkyrie was holding the girl. "Time to do your duty – she's all yours! Good Luck!"

"Stacey….?" Lauren and Bo exchanged a look. There was no mistaking those brilliant blue eyes watching them with a mixture of fear and hope.

Dyson grinned, "Valkyrie have many lives!"

"But…Mistress…I don't know how to take care of a child!" Dagny objected as the girl wrapped her little arms around her neck.

Acacia was glaring at the guard who was still struggling to contain her mirth, and told her without looking around to give a dual meaning to her statement to the errant guard, "We don't run a daycare in Valhalla." She did turn to face the young Valkyrie once her message had its desired effect on her escort and she maintained her composure. " I'll give you a few weeks to recover, and then send a messenger when it is time for you return for training. Until then, find yourself a babysitter. The human doctor seems to have a knack for raising young Valkyrie." She turned her eyes to Bo and added, "At least she has some discipline" She snapped her fingers and the squad of Valkyrie fell in step behind them. They vanished before they made it to the door, but no one else noticed as they were all paying attention to the newly reborn Stacey.

"Here, let me take her Dagny." Dr. Lewis moved forward and tried to gently extricate the frightened child from the young Valkyrie's arms. But the girl was resisting, whining and tightening her grip on the exhausted Dagny.

"Allow me…" Vex stepped forward and pinched the girl's arm. It produced the desired response as the child released her death grip on her older Valkyrie sister and turned to face him with a angry expression. "…awwww. Did I hurt you? Why don't you get me back? 'Cmon, put 'em up! Winner gets some ice cream! Right, Dyson?"

"Right! Root beer float! Coming right up." He grinned at the Mesmer and went behind the bar to get the treat. Dagny was in no shape to try to deal with a newly reborn Valkyrie and inexperienced dealing with young children to boot. Bo and Lauren were exchanging loving looks that could only mean the young fae could be the key to their quest to have a child together, and that was something that no longer bothered him. It seemed their little family was growing in unexpected ways.

Dagny knelt down and young Stacey clambered out of her embrace to face Vex, who had gotten down on his knees to get eye to eye with her, "Let's see whatcha got!" he said with his fists raised and a mock determined expression on his face.

She showed him what with a smirk that a child so young shouldn't be cynical enough to express and a kick right to his testicles. Of course, there wasn't much force behind the blow. But still – a glancing blow can hurt worse than a solid hit. As he dropped his hands to his groin and groaned, his boyfriend mocked his attempt to play fight, "Guess she showed you!"

"Oh….bollocks…" Vex moaned as Lauren rescued him by scooping up Stacey and placing her on a barstool to give her a once over while Dyson prepared her reward.

"You won! Now just sit here, sweetie, while you wait for your treat." Lauren told her in a soft tone. The girl glared at her suspiciously, but relaxed when Dagny realized Dr. Lewis had a new target for her medical curiosity and sat next to the girl.

"Let Dr. Lewis take care of you, Stacey. It's what she does. You'll get used to it – I did." the Valkyrie huffed out and folded her arms on the bar top used them as a pillow for her head. She was beyond tired, but Stacey was her responsibility now – apparently. The child turned her head to look at her with her expressive bright blue eyes open wide questioningly. Dagny looked back through her half open bleary green eyes, and willing the girl with the slightest amount of doubt she could conjure to allow the doctor to examine her.

"OK." The girl answered, speaking for the first time. She let out a heavy sigh, and glared at the Mesmer making his way to the bar, "But then I get ice cream, right?"

"Not before I get some ice, you little demon. You don't fight fair!" Vex hobbled to the bar and gestured to Dyson for a drink and an ice pack.

"What's a 'fair fight'" the girl asked Lauren who had begun looking her over, but Dagny answered before she got a chance to think of a reply.

"There is no such thing – only a fight with a winner and a loser." the exhausted Valkyrie mumbled, closing her eyes.

"I won." Stacey said proudly to Lauren, who was checking her lymph glands on her neck.

She stilled her efforts as she held the child's head, "You did." The doctor gave her a gentle smile that Stacey returned.

"I didn't like you before – but I like you now. You're nice." The toddler told the human, not really sure why she felt instinctively to avoid the blonde human and the brunette next to her. The only other things she was sure of was Dagny would help her, and Acacia was mean.

"You're not you little sh…" Vex began and corrected himself when Lauren shot him a disapproving look, "…sheeee devil!" He grinned triumphantly when the girl stuck her tongue out at him, and then stuck out his own while pulling his lower eyelids down, "Nnnnnaaawwwww! I can pull faces, too, Valhalla Barbie!" Mark put his hand on his shoulder and watched their antics with a smile.

She giggled, and looked at Lauren who was checking her pulse, "He's funny!"

"He needs to stop being so funny so I can check your heart rate! Just sit still for a minute, honey." She concentrated on the young fae while Bo took advantage of her sister's napping at the bar to take a closer look at her.

The Valkyrie was wearing a black T-shirt that disguised the blood that had soaked into the cloth from two slits at her shoulder blades. Just to be sure, she touched it her sister's back gingerly, and then examined her fingertips – they were red. She carefully opened the cuts in the fabric wider, and saw there was only flawless skin tinted faintly by blood that had no visible source beneath it. "Lauren…" she said softly, looking to her wife with concern.

The doctor looked up from examining the girl. She needed no verbal explanation for her wife's anxiety and gave her a look that promised a talk in private later. There was no need to announce to everyone that Dagny had wings and was already on her last life, which of course was a fallacious fact they learned from the human druid, Massimo.

Lauren sighed, there was always drama in their family – but right now she needed to concentrate on triaging the situation. She gave voice for the first and foremost concern logistically as Stacey turned away from her to devour her root beer float. "What are we going to _do_ with her? Dagny is in no condition to take care of her, and you and I both have our work!" she asked Bo in a hushed voice.

"Vex can watch her during the day." Mark leaned in to add helpfully, "At least until his club is ready to open."

"Wwwhhhuuuuttttt…?" The Mesmer had heard him, "No…no – I am not doing THIS…" he gestured at the toddler, "…AG-AIN. It didn't turn out so well the last time I tried to foster a little hell spawn. And it's OUR club, Mark!" He still felt the pain and the shame over how Massimo had turned out, and also wanted his boyfriend fully on board with his plans.

"We'll all help." Dyson added. "This isn't her first life, and though she may not grow as fast as Tamsin did – it won't take as long as it took Dagny."

"She tried to kill Lauren, Dyson. Maybe…we should send her back tomorrow." Bo looked at the shifter with an expression that dared him to defy her.

He did, "People change, Bo. And Valkyrie even more so, when they are reborn. I think she's made amends for what she has done. Trick and I told you before; they don't remember everything that happened in their past lives."

"More!" Stacey demanded once she finished her ice cream.

"I think you should go home and eat dinner first, then – if you behave, I bet your aunties will let you have some more ice cream." The wolf told her gently, leaning down to look her in the eyes.

"I don't have a home. And what are 'aunties?'" she asked quizzically with a scrunched nose.

Lauren and Bo exchanged a look, the doctor's expressive brown eyes silently asking her wife to accept the newly reborn Valkyrie. Bo pulled a slight smile with tightly drawn lips; this was important to her wife, to Dagny, Acacia and her own hopes for a child. "You can stay with us, and Dagny." The Succubus told the child. When the girl turned and gave her a horrified look, she added, "And if you eat all your dinner you can have more ice cream. I promise."

The girl frowned and seemed close to tears. "You don't like me!" she whined.

"I…I didn't like who you used to be. And you didn't like who I was. Let's start over, OK?" Bo leaned down to speak on her level as Dyson and Lauren had done, and it seemed to work. She nodded solemnly with her blue eyes staring into the Succubus' dark brown orbs. She seemed so innocent and frightened, yet wise beyond the few years she appeared to be. "Right, let's go home!"

 _ **Epilogue…**_

They tried unsuccessfully to roust the comatose Valkyrie at the bar, until Dyson suggested he and Mark carry her out to Bo's car. Lauren debated the wisdom of buying a car seat for Stacey knowing she would probably grown out of it before they got much use out of it with Bo and the shifter. Dyson, Mark, and Vex followed them home to help with the two Valkyrie and they all ate dinner together as a family. Dagny, however, was conspicuous by her absence at the table. Both her Dawning and the events of the days leading up to it had taken a heavy toll on her, and she fell into a restorative sleep to repair and recharge herself. After they laid her in her bed, Bo took off her boots and jeans to allow her to sleep more comfortably. The wolf noted she must be totally out if she didn't raise a fit when someone touched her feet, and Bo shooed him out of the doorway when he gave away his lingering presence.

After dinner, Stacey got her first dose of Dr. Lewis' insatiable scientific curiosity and had to endure a thorough physical exam and give samples of just about every bodily fluid. She cried once the needle pierced her skin for the first time, and Lauren suspected the Valkyrie had never received an inoculation or given blood in her previous life. It was clear now that she had developed a full blown fear of needles, and future blood samples would be far more difficult to obtain.

After their guests left, Bo took Stacey upstairs and turned on a video game in Dagny's room for the young girl to play while she talked with Lauren in their room. Her sister was out for the count, she knew, and wouldn't be disturbed by any noise in her room for some time. The logistics of just where Stacey would sleep and how to anticipate her growth spurts in order to get samples of the initiating hormones were discussed. Lauren suggested she sleep with them for the night, which Bo immediately rejected. Research or no – it was too much of a precedent to set with a young child and she didn't want to be interrupted in her own bed later on down the road.

Lauren coaxed her into making an exception for this one night, and she gave in to her. This was their one chance, and it was too important to pass up. But when they returned to Dagny's room, the girl was already curled up and asleep next to her Valkyrie sister. Lauren attempted to pick her up, trying to pull her little arms off her big sister. That's when Dagny woke up with a start, and the doctor explained herself. "It's alright Lauren – if she grows up some more tonight, I'll come get you." She smiled and the human as the young Stacey pulled herself closer to her. Her Valkyrie sister was her burden, not theirs. Bo turned off the video game and said goodnight to her sister.

Stacey did not grow that night, and pouted at breakfast when there were no pancakes or sugary cereals. Lauren tried to coax her to eat gently, but Dagny groused at her about being an ungrateful little shit. She was rewarded by a harsh retort from the Succubus and compliance from the girl. After breakfast, Lauren left to retrieve monitoring equipment from the clinic and Bo attempted to talk with her sister about her dawning as they watched the fluffy morning news shows. She wanted to know if the young Valkyrie had a vision of the past that was real. But Dagny would have none of it.

"I already told you – I don't want to talk about it, Bo. I know who I am – I know where I came from and what I want to be. I know what I have to do." she stated without emotion.

"And who do you think you are?" her sister asked in irritation.

"Someone who doesn't have to explain or justify herself to you or anyone else. Don't you have more important things to worry about besides pestering me? If you didn't tell me about it already, it's obviously something you can't or won't discuss. And I don't care to, either. See - we do agree on something!" Dagny smiled and hoped her heartfelt explanation was enough to get her sister to drop the subject. She got up to go upstairs and get ready to start her day, gesturing for her young charge to follow her. She had to watch Stacey and make sure she didn't fall asleep before the monitoring equipment could alert them she was going through a growth cycle. It was important that Lauren capture the fleeting hormones that reversed her recessive fae genes and turned them dominate.

Bo stood up off the couch and called after her, "Dagny…we can talk about whatever you want! Please…what did you see? I could be important!"

She stopped on the stairs; causing the hapless Stacey who had her head down to navigate the steps to bump into her legs and nearly fall on her rear. The anger was bubbling up within her, but she bit back on it – it would only complicate matters. Bo couldn't help who she was, or change the past. But neither of them was in a place where they could discuss it without their emotions taking over and wrecking their fragile relationship they took such pains to build. She sighed out calmingly, "Leave me alone, Bo. You have your own priorities, you always have. Talk with Lauren about them, and I'll concentrate on what I need to do. I'm going to kill him, Bo. Nothing else matters to me. Not even my own life."

End of Part 1

 **FrenChi (and whom else it may concern) – I would PM you…but I can't. That was a hard story to write, and the only true shipping story(CopDoc) I ever attempted to write. I know Lauren mentioned serving in Afghanistan and it struck a chord with me. I was really disappointed when it was never mentioned again, and drew on my own experiences, those of people I served with, and things that happened there to write a one shot I later turned into a multichapter. Of course, it's not a popular ship and so didn't get much interest and I dropped it for that and many other reasons. One reason was that it really pissed me off that the LG writers made Bo so cruel in the last season – even to Lauren and Trick. I nearly deleted it many, many times…but a few people kept reading…so I left it up. I did play with writing style and it was always very personal to me. Maybe too much so. But, I guess I kept it because I might someday finish it, and it always was my favorite story. I do have one chapter written yet unpublished…I'll give it another go now. Stay tuned.**


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